Dirt Road Secrets
by NutzForTheBucks
Summary: Leaving one life behind for some dusty, country folks... but will the remains of their pasts be too much to overcome?
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

_**ARIA**_

One of her favorite parts of the Easter holiday when she was a kid would be when she and her brother were allowed to dye hard boiled eggs. She remembered her mother allowing her to add the food coloring to the cups of warm water and watching as the die swirled through the water, changing it to whatever color she had chosen. If she swirled that water with a spoon, the dye blended in very fast. But if she allowed the die to mix in on its own, it was a much slower, gentler process. One that took time, but would ultimately produce the same results.

The problem with the dye was that no matter what she did, she could never separate it again from the solution. The water was forever changed, with the intensity of color directly related to the amount of food coloring she had added. She often though about how starkly this represented life. Our lives are made up of the choices we make. These choices define us, permanently dying our characters. And no matter how hard we try to extract ourselves from those moments defined by our choices, we are forever changed because of them.

The stark smell of whisky and stale cigarettes filled her nose as she sat tucked into the corner booth of some random, run down tavern in downtown Rosewood, PA. This was not her usual kind of hangout. On the rare nights she did go out, she preferred the more popular venues, ones with a more respectable crowd. Her husband of almost five years sat next to her, swirling the amber liquid filling his glass around and around before draining it and slamming the glass onto the table. Aria averted her eyes before he caught her staring. She didn't want a confrontation, not here.

"Aria?" Glancing up, Aria's eyes met her best friend's across the room. Hanna quickly started her way, dragging her fiancé, Caleb, along behind her. "Hey! Caleb and I were walking by and I thought I recognized your car, it's been a while!"

Aria pasted a fake smile onto her face, attempting to pretend that this was just a normal night out with her husband. "Yeah, it's been too long. I've just been busy… you know with work and all." She stared down at her drink as she felt her husband stiffen next to her, aware of every word that came out of her mouth.

"And how are you, Jake?" Caleb asked. Though his question came off as nonchalant, his posture spoke volumes about the tension rippling through the air in those short moments.

"Fine, good. Hey, now that you two are here let's do some shots. Caleb, come help me?" Jake responded, plastering a similar fake smile onto his face before he stood and made his way towards the bar, not waiting for Caleb's reply. Caleb shot a worried glance towards Hanna but she motioned for him to follow, giving her some time alone with Aria.

As soon as the boys were gone, she slid into the booth across from her best friend. "How are you? Really?" Hanna asked. Concern filled her face as she stared at Aria, attempting to take in everything about her.

Aria flicked her eyes quickly towards where her husband was leaning against the bar before answering. She couldn't help but feel as if this was a test of some kind. Though he wasn't directly staring at them, she was sure that he was _very_ much aware of her conversation with Hanna. "I'm… good."

"So nothing's changed then," Hanna whispered harshly. She slapped her hands down onto her thighs before shaking her head and looking anywhere but at Aria. "I can't- I can't sit by anymore, Aria. Not when he's doing this to you. I don't want to receive a phone call one day saying- saying-" Hanna stuttered, tears pooling in her eyes.

Aria reached forward to grasp Hanna's hands in her own. "That's _not_ going to happen, Han. And he's… he's been better recently. Nothing serious. I think that with time…" Aria trailed off, unsure if she believed her answer enough to continue giving it to Hanna.

Hanna sighed, squeezing Aria's hands before releasing them. "You know that I'm here for you, right? Both Caleb and I are here for you. Please call us, for anything, Aria."

"I know," Aria whispered back, nervously wringing her hands in her lap. She took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Caleb and Jake chose that moment to return from the bar carrying their shots. Sliding into the booth next to her, Jake shot her an intense glare but quickly morphed his expression into one of carefree, happiness before either Caleb or Hanna could see it.

"To us," Jake called, raising his glass into the air to click it with the other's.

"To us," they all called out. Throwing the burning liquor back, Aria struggled not to cough or sputter at the intensity of the heat scorching its way down her throat. She had never been one for liquor, especially those of the top shelf category. Jake, however, was fairly familiar with most of the brand names. This was part of the reason why Aria was in the position she currently found herself. Pulling her sleeves further down her arms, she took in the couple sitting across from her. Noticing how happy they appeared, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. She wanted that kind of relationship, the kind that truly was loving and carefree and easy. She honestly believed that at one point, she had had that. She just wasn't sure when she had lost it.

Smiling, she glanced at Jake sitting next to her and finished her previously untouched drink before making to stand. "Jake, Honey, are you ready to get going? I'm kind of tired."

Jake nodded his head in reply, moving to allow her out of the booth. "Sure, catch you guys later."

Aria's eyes caught Hanna's as she followed her husband towards the door. She could see the sadness in them, the regret for allowing her to leave and not saying anything. But there was nothing she could say. Nothing she could do that would help. Aria was positive of that. She didn't want her friend involved in her mess, it was hers and hers alone.

When the cool night air hit her face, she took a deep breath, relaxing during the short walk to their car. Before she could open the door, however, Jake had her pinned against the side of the vehicle, his hand tightly grasping her wrist as he glared down at her.

"Did you call them? Was that an attempt to humiliate me or something?" He snapped.

Aria shook her head vigorously. "No, I swear, I didn't call. I-"

"I don't care about your petty excuses anymore, Aria. Just know that you were the one that looked foolish in there, not me. And you best watch your attitude around me." With that, Jake quickly released her arm and pushed around to the driver's side before climbing in. She rubbed at the spot where he had grabbed her, there was sure to be bruise there in the morning.

Aria closed her eyes for a few moments in an attempt to calm down before turning and getting in the car. She wouldn't have put it past Jake to leave her abandoned in the middle of the tavern's parking lot. She wasn't sure that would have been such a bad thing, though.

'_Hanna's right… Soon,'_ she thought to herself. _'Not too much longer, and I'll be free…'_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

_**ARIA**_

Running a hand through her hair, she nervously shifted from leg to leg as she waited in line for the next available banker. Every other Friday Aria was given the responsibility of depositing Jake's paycheck into their bank account. He made a fairly sizeable amount of money from running his own martial arts teaching facility while Aria ran an at home child sitting service. She loved her job. Well she had loved it, that was before Jake had demanded that she shut it down. He was tired of coming home to screaming children who only ate his food and colored on his walls, he had told her. She hadn't told anyone, especially her best friend, about her lack of employment. So now she was a just a stay at home… wife. Doing little else other than cleaning their home and cooking him meals.

"Can I help whoever's next?" called a young woman from a station a few feet away. Wasting no time, Aria made her way over to the lady and pulled Jake's paycheck from her pocket. She wasn't even sure why he felt the need to write himself checks seeing as how he ran the place but she would do as she was told.

"Hi, I need to deposit this into my and my husband's account?" Aria asked. She timidly pushed the check towards the teller.

Checking for the signature across the back, the woman tapped a few keys on her computer, smiling slightly at Aria. "Sure. Can I see your debit card and identification, please?"

Aria quickly slid the necessary items towards her before bringing her hands back towards her lap, where she nervously fiddled with the wedding band on her left hand. Jake would be home in little over an hour and she needed to start dinner soon. If it wasn't ready when he got there… well, let's just say that Aria was sure to not enjoy his reaction, especially if he came home smelling like a brewery.

The banker turned back to Aria as she slid her cards back towards her. "Now will you be depositing the full amount into the account tonight, ma'am?"

Aria nervously sucked in a breath before diverting her eyes for a quick moment. "Actually… I need about two hundred of it in cash… please," she whispered.

"Sure, that's not a problem." Before the woman could type anything onto the keyboard, however, Aria quickly spoke up, stilling her actions.

"I need you to deposit the full amount first, though. So that I can have the deposit receipt… then extract the two hundred." The teller looked at Aria curiously before nodding her head and doing as she was asked. Aria had a system down. For the past couple of years, she had been extracting cash in this manner and storing the lot, hidden away at the house under a floorboard. If she was going to leave Jake, she needed money.

After receiving the cash and receipts, Aria made her way out into the parking lot and quickly drove home. She wasted no time in climbing the stairs towards the guest bedroom when she arrived home, pulling up the loose floorboard in the corner and adding the money to the pile she had collected thus far. Without warning, she heard a car door slam from the driveway. Her heart jumped into her throat as she quickly shoved the floor board into place and stood up, heading for the stairs.

When Jake walked into the house, she could tell without a doubt that he had been drinking. The sure signs of alcohol were painted clear as day across his face. Stumbling over the door jam, he straightened himself and attempted to act sober, as if Aria wasn't standing three feet away.

"Hi, Honey, you're home early. I was just about to start dinner, would you like me to get you anything?" Aria asked, attempting to avoid any sort of confrontation. This was Jake's favorite part of the day to start getting physical with her.

He released a grunt before walking into the kitchen and grabbing a beer from the fridge. "Just start cooking. I've had a hard day." Aria was surprised that he was letting the situation go for once, so she wasted no time in pulling out the necessary cooking utensils to start on his dinner.

No more than an hour (and almost an entire six pack) later, Aria was calling Jake into the dining room for dinner. Sitting across from him, Aria couldn't help but take in his appearance. He had once been a very handsome man. He still was, if she was being honest with herself. His gentle smile and calm demeanor had drawn her to him. She had grown up in a house where her father, after being caught cheating on her mother, was quick to verbally lash out at his children. He never hit them, though.

So when she met Jake, she fell for his charm and happy personality. It wasn't until after they were married that she saw the real man behind the curtains. He started drinking heavily and at first he was just verbally abusive. Having already lived through that, Aria thought that she would be able to live with it again. She had hoped that this was just a stage for him, that he would soon see the error of his ways and stop. That wasn't the case.

Coming home extremely drunk one night, he lashed out at her. One thing led to the next and before she knew it, she had bruises on her arms and a scrape across her forehead, one that had turned into a scar that she attempted daily to cover with makeup. It was a constant reminder of the hell that she had to live with every day. He had, of course, apologized, saying that it would never happen again. A few days later, though, it did happen again. Soon enough, the physical altercations became a regular occurrence and Aria was too afraid to ask for help. She didn't want to involve her family or friends, they didn't deserve that. This was her problem and she would live with it as best as she was able.

'_Not too much longer,'_ she thought to herself. She planned on leaving soon, she had just enough cash saved up to start somewhere new. She was just waiting for the perfect moment.

"Did you finish washing my fighting uniforms?" Jake asked, shoving a large piece of chicken into his mouth.

Aria nodded her head. "Of course. They're washed and pressed in your dresser."

Jake slammed his fork down onto the table before leaning towards Aria. "Don't give me attitude about this, Aria. I don't ask you to do much. Hell, I provide everything for you and you are _extremely_ ungrateful about that." Aria diverted her eyes to her untouched dinner.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off as ungrateful, here let me get you some more food," she whispered, standing up to grab him some more potatoes. She picked up some empty plates as she stood, attempting nonchalantly to grab the extra beer cans sitting on the table. Jake quickly grabbed her wrists.

"Did I say that I was done with those? Leave them," he snapped. Aria, taking a short breath, nodded her head and returned a few moments later with his food. As she slid the extra potatoes onto his plate, a few drops of water landed on his napkin. Without warning, Jake was pushing off of the table and pinning Aria to the wall behind her, the pot of potatoes clashing loudly to the floor. "I'm _tired_ of your attitude. Stop pushing my buttons, Aria!" He said, holding tightly to her shoulders as he glared into her face.

"I'm-I'm sorry, Jake. I didn't mean to do anything wrong, please," Aria choked out. With tears in her eyes, she met Jake's hard stare. Reaching forward, she tentatively brushed his hair from his forehead. "Let me clean up in here, while you relax in the living room. I'll bring you another beer."

This seemed to placate him as he released her with a hard grunt. She quickly dropped to her knees and started wiping up the spilled food as he left to collapse in front of the television. Taking a shaky breath she brought him another beer and busied herself for the rest of the evening straightening up the kitchen. When she returned to the living room, Jake was passed out cold on the sofa.

'_This is it,'_ Aria thought to herself. _'This is the moment I've been waiting for.'_

She sped towards the stairs upstairs, careful to not make too much noise that would awaken her husband. Ripping up the floor board in the guest room, she grabbed the duffel bag full of money and made her way towards the closet where she had stashed a bag full of clothes and other necessary items. She tiptoed downstairs and grabbed her purse from the counter in the kitchen before taking one last glance towards the living room. He still hadn't moved a muscle. Good.

When she closed the door leading outside, she had no regrets for the life she was leaving behind. She would miss her family and Hanna, but she had to get away. If she didn't… there was no telling what would happen. She took one last shaky breath before rapidly walking away from the house she had lived in for the past five years, away from the life that was slowly killing her.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

_**ARIA**_

_"I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my deamons, finally content with a past I regret. I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness. For once I'm at peace with myself. I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long... I'm moving on."_

Aria lost herself in the flow of constant music from her tiny earbuds as she watched the scenery roll by. She had spent the night traveling by bus in an attempt to get as far away from Rosewood as she possibly could. To be honest, she wasn't even sure where she was headed. She knew that she had made the right choice, though. Staring out the window at the landscape, she took in the rolling fields and calm tranquility offered by the rows of corn and quiet country life. Rustic barns and worn down houses were scattered here and there but she hadn't seen a dense population of people in a while. This both calmed and frightened her.

When the bus pulled up to a stop that looked like it was in the middle of nowhere, she decided that now was as good a time as any to get off. She had been traveling for hours now, so surely she was far enough away to avoid ever running into Jake again.

Climbing down the bus stairs, she found herself standing at a bus stop located at the edge of a worn dirt road. She appeared to be in the middle of town but that was saying a lot if this _was_ actually considered a town. Looking around, she counted a total of maybe ten buildings, including a post office, a small grocery store, and other various businesses. The town appeared deserted though it was the middle of Thursday afternoon. Maybe she should get back on the bus and keep going until she reached an actual town. When she turned around, however, the bus was gone.

'_Well, guess this is where I'm stuck,'_ Aria thought. She started walking away from the bus stop, in the direction of the farm fields surrounding the cozy town. Maybe she could find a motel or somewhere where she could stay for the night, then she'd board the next bus out of here.

Walking, she saw a sign that read 'Welcome to Winesburg, OH, Population 273.' She shook her head with a smirk, she honestly doubted that many people lived here as she had yet to see anyone. She didn't want to answer any questioning stares, though, so she avoided going into any of the businesses lining what she assumed was the main road in and out of the small town. That's when she noticed the help wanted sign hanging in the window of a restaurant across the street.

The business was advertised as _'Emily's Café'_ and from just the outside, Aria could tell that it was a popular place in this miniscule town. She stopped and clenched her bags tightly to her body as she thought over the sign. If she wanted to start new, she'd need a new town, a new job… a new life. Winesburg seemed as good a place as any.

Pushing her way into the store, she was instantly met with the strong aroma of coffee and pastries. She smiled as she took in the warm, inviting atmosphere of the place. With tables scattered here and there and sofas lining the walls, she imagined that this place saw a lot of business, probably from almost everyone living in this small town.

"Hi there, how can I help you?" Turning, Aria's gaze met that of a young woman, probably around her age, who was standing behind the counter. She walked over and extended her hand.

"Hi, I was…. I was just walking by and I noticed the help wanted sign in the window?"

Smiling brightly, the woman took Aria's hand. "Yeah! It's been up for a while now, actually. Seems no one around here needs a job," she laughed. Looking closely at Aria, she continued. "I'm Emily, and you are?"

"Aria… Aria Montgomery," Aria replied, a small smile coming over her face as well. If she was going to start over, she couldn't keep her married name.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Aria. If you really are interested in the job, then I'd love the help. You could start Monday?"

Nodding her head, Aria instantly felt relieved that she was slowly making progress with her new life. "Absolutely. I'll see you then." Aria hitched her bags up onto her shoulder and made her way back out onto the street. Now she just needed to find a place to stay. A motel room for the next few nights would do until she could locate an apartment of some kind.

So she kept walking. She walked until the burn in her thighs was almost unbearable and the sun was starting to set in the distance. That was when she caught sight of a long dirt drive just outside of town. It was leading beyond a farm field but she could just make out an older house set far back on the property. She decided that she should probably ask for directions, talking to one person wouldn't hurt. Pushing her bags further onto her shoulder, she turned and headed up the drive.

_**Ezra**_

He wiped the sweat from his brow as he concentrated on tightening the bolt holding his oil pan onto the bottom of his tractor's engine. He shouldn't have waited so long to change the oil, he knew that, but he had been busy and it had slipped his mind. Now he was a day behind plowing the fields and if he didn't hurry, the early spring rains would be there before he laid any seed.

Sighing to himself, he pushed himself out from under the tractor and sat up, reaching for a rag to wipe his greasy hands on. His dog, Chester, whined from the disturbance. He had been lying in the cool grass a few feet away, catching a late afternoon nap. That's when he caught sight of a petite form making its way up his drive. He clenched his brows in confusion as he stood. He very rarely got visitors out here, living far enough outside of the town that people didn't bother him. That's why he chose to live out here, he liked avoiding social situations at all costs.

When the figure got close enough, he saw that his visitor was a young woman. She appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties, around his age, but the way she carried herself and walked mirrored someone twice her age. She lifted her head from where it was watching her moving feet and her eyes quickly found his. He watched her take a deep breath before making her way over. Chester, always eager to greet people, jumped up and happily trotted over to her as she walked over, sniffing at her feet.

"Hi," she told him quietly, reaching down to scratch the dog behind his ears. Ezra didn't bother to respond, choosing instead to stare at her in confusion. He turned and threw the rag over the hood of the tractor before leaning back against it and crossing his arms over his chest, taking in everything about her. She was attractive, that was obvious, but Ezra was very reluctant to trust anyone, including a pretty woman he had never seen before.

Clearing her throat, Aria continued. "I'm Aria. I was hoping you could point me in the direction of a motel or inn of some kind?"

Ezra let out a short laugh. "You're about an hour's drive from any kind of inn. Even longer walking."

She didn't know how to respond to that other than to just sigh and drop her shoulders. "Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you. Thank you for your time." She turned to head back down the driveway. Staring after her, Ezra surprised himself when he called after her.

"Are you walking anywhere in particular? Sun's about to go down soon," He asked. She turned to look at him and for a few moments nothing was said.

She ran a hand through her hair before responding. "No, nowhere specific. I just…" She trailed off, reluctant to share her story with a man she had just met. Ezra picked up on this and pushed off of the tractor, shoving his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels.

"Listen, your story is your story. I'm not prying, just wondering how you planned on getting anywhere before it gets dark." She didn't answer, instead staring at him in shock. She had expected some sort of inquisition. This seemed like a _very _small town so she was sure that someone randomly showing up asking for a place to stay was very unusual. He didn't ask her story though, and for that she suddenly had a lot of respect for him.

"I hadn't really thought this out exactly. I'm just looking for a place to stay for the night," she told him softly. Ezra sighed, he would normally never offer a stranger a bed to sleep in but there was something about this woman. He felt some kind of pull to help her and before he knew what he was saying he spoke out.

"I've got a guest house 'round back," he told her, kicking a pebble with the toe of his worn out boot. "You can stay there, for the night, if you'd like. It's not much but there's a bed and running water at least. I wasn't raised to let a lady sleep on the side of the road."

He could see the battle raging in her eyes as she thought about his offer. "I don't want to put you out in any way, that's not why I came up here. I can keep going."

Not allowing her to continue, Ezra turned and started around the back of his house, Chester following at his heels. When he didn't hear her following, however, he turned his head and threw a smile in her direction, attempting to ease her nerves. "You coming or what?"


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_**ARIA**_

Aria took in Ezra's home as she followed him around the back to where his guest house was located. The structure looked firm, like one of those houses built during an era where stability was a priority, not aesthetics. It was worn, well used, but obviously cared for. She could see places where he had applied fresh coats of paint, where the roof had been reshingled. But there were never places that looked forgotten or unkempt. A porch wrapped around the front of the two story home, blending nicely into a deck on the back that overlooked most of the property. She could easily picture Ezra spending his time here, overlooking the land with a cold beer in his hand and his dog by his side.

When they reached the guest house, Aria was met with a similar atmosphere of tranquility. The one level building appeared to be a renovated garage or barn of some sort, though she could see that it was well equipped with central heating, cooling, and plumbing. It instantly looked more welcoming than her home back in Rosewood ever had.

Chester followed along patiently at Ezra's heels as he led her into the guest house, opening blinds and checking that the bed had sheets and such. Scratching the back of his head, he averted his eyes as he spoke to her. "So… everything you should need should be here. If not, just give me a shout and I'll grab whatever you want. Are you- are you hungry at all? I just had dinner but there is plenty left over…" At the mention of food, Aria's stomach chose that moment to grumble. She hadn't eaten all day, aside from a bag of nuts she had stashed away in her purse for emergencies.

Ezra smiled as he heard her body's response. "Let me go heat you up some food. Make yourself at home and come out to the main house when you're ready." He left her then to settle herself in, closing the door behind him.

Looking around, Aria sighed before gently lowering herself to the couch in the small living room. She hadn't made much plans other than just getting out. So now that she was out, what was she going to do? She didn't know that Winesburg was where she was meant to stay, but she did know that she wasn't meant to stay in Rosewood, that was for sure. She hadn't brought much with her so she didn't bother unpacking, rather standing and deciding to take a tour of her home for the night. There was a small kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The family room was more of an entry way with a large window overlooking the cornfields to the right of Ezra's main house. She loved everything about it but what she loved most was that it was free of an abusive, overbearing husband. She could be herself here.

With one last look around the small living area, she headed toward the main house. Walking through the backdoor, she found Ezra stirring what appeared to be a pot of stew and dumplings. It smelled fantastic. He looked up from the pot to meet her gaze as she timidly sat down at the small table across from the refrigerator.

"I dunno what kind of food you're accustomed to, or cooking for that manner, but all I've really got to offer is some soup," he told her, turning his gaze back towards the dish in question.

"That sounds wonderful… I'm sorry I never caught your name," Aria asked. How awkward was it that here she was, staying in his guest house, eating his food, and she didn't even know his name?

Clearing his throat he answered. "I'm Ezra, and that's Chester," he said, pointing the large spoon he'd been using towards the dog. "Fitz. Ezra Fitz."

Aria reached down to run a hand over Chester's mane as he came to lie next to her on the floor. "Well, thank you, Ezra. I can't express enough how grateful I am for your hospitality. I promise to be out of your hair by tomorrow morning." Ezra waved her off, turning to cut the stove off and scoop her dinner into a bowl. Placing it before her he nervously shoved his hands into his pockets again and looked anywhere but at her.

"So I'm going to go take a shower and probably head to bed, got lots of early plowing to do in the morning. You're more than welcome to stay here and have whatever's in the fridge or watch the t.v. or-"

"Thank you, Ezra, I'll probably just eat this though and head to bed as well. It's been a long day for me," She said, cutting him off. She could see how nervous he was by the way he rocked onto his heels and seemed to grasp at the lining inside of his pockets.

"Ok. Well… good night then," he told her.

"Goodnight," she whispered back. There was a certain level of tension in the air, though she couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from. With a small whistle, Chester hopped to his feet and followed his owner out of the kitchen and up the stairs towards where she presumed Ezra's bedroom was. She sighed, looking down at the soup he had prepared for her. His demeanor was very confusing. He came off a bit cold, unwilling to get to know anything about her. But his actions… his actions told her that he did care. He wanted to make sure she wasn't hungry, that she had a bed to sleep in. She shook her head once before digging into the soup. As complicated as he was, she had never been so grateful to have met him.

_**Hanna**_

It was early Friday morning when she walked into her clothing store in downtown Rosewood. She had been running her own business for over three years now and it was everything she had ever dreamed of. She loved the way fabrics fit together, like a puzzle, and how she could cut or sew cloths until a brand new outfit appeared. Caleb often mocked her (in jest of course) about how dedicated she was to her clothing. She couldn't imagine doing anything else, though.

Turning on the lights and starting up the computer in her back office, she was surprised when she heard the bell above the door ring out, indicating that someone had entered the store.

"We're not open yet! Come back in an hour or so," she called out to whoever had come in. She didn't hear a response and was just about to make her way out to the store front when a shadow fell over her desk. Looking up, she met the cold, hard gaze of her best friend's husband.

"I'm looking for Aria. Have you seen her?" Jake asked in a no-nonsense tone of voice. He stood rigidly in the entrance to the office, not making to come in any further or to allow her any room to get past him. She was suddenly anxious, more anxious than she ever remembered being.

Straightening the random items on her desk, Hanna stood. "No, I haven't seen her since we were at that bar last weekend. Why? Has she gone somewhere?"

Jake narrowed his eyes at her, judging whether he believed her or not. Taking a small step closer to where she was, he lowered his voice. "I think you're lying to me… she wasn't at home when I woke up yesterday morning, she didn't come home last night… and I know you two were talking that night. Let me make myself clear," he said, coming closer until Hanna was just about cornered in the room. "If you know where my wife went and you're lying to me… I'll find out, and you won't like what will happen."

Before Hanna could respond, the back door to the shop was opening and footsteps were making their way towards her office.

"Hey, Han, I brought coffee-" Caleb cut his greeting short when he got to the room, taking in the tense atmosphere between his fiancé and Jake. "Jake. What's going on?" He carefully placed the coffee he had brought down on Hanna's desk, turning to stand between her and Jake.

Jake instantly backed up a few feet, nodding his head in Caleb's direction as some kind of greeting. "Caleb. Not much is going on, just passed by and thought I'd stop in to say hi. Well, I've got to get going. I'll catch you both later." Before he left, he turned to make eye contact with Hanna. "Think about what I said, Hanna." With that, he left them both standing there, shocked and confused. What had happened to Aria? And where was she?


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_**EZRA**_

He groaned when the blaring sound of his alarm rang out during the early morning hours. Rolling over, he slapped a hand down on the contraption before pushing himself into a sitting position and stretching his tired joints. Ezra knew that he had to get moving if he wanted to beat the afternoon sun. It may only be early spring, but the sooner he planted, the sooner he'd be tilling which meant money.

"Come on, Boy," Ezra called towards Chester after he'd showered and dressed. The dog quickly pounced after him, following him out back onto the porch and down towards the barn directly across from the guest house. He took a quick glance towards the guest home, noticing that the lights were all off and everything seemed quiet. Aria must still be sleeping.

As he prepared the tractor for use, Ezra couldn't help but think about the young woman currently residing on his property. He had surprised himself offering her a place to stay. Most of his friends told him that he was too cold, that he came off most of the time as uncaring and unwilling to get close to anyone. He had his reasons, that was for sure, but it was something Ezra desperately wanted to change.

What really bothered him, however, was Aria's lack of direction. She just seemed to be wandering and someone of her stature and beauty should _not_ be wandering. Bad things happened to those without a place to go. Shaking his head, he pushed the issue to the back of his mind and continued getting ready for his morning responsibilities.

_**ARIA**_

She woke early hoping to be gone before Ezra rose. She already felt horrible about staying here and she just wanted to be out of his hair as soon as possible. When she gathered her things and stepped outside, however, she was met by a very happy Chester trotting her way. She smiled as she stooped to pet his head. Flicking her eyes around the property she found Ezra filling his tractor with gas in the barn. He had yet to notice her, though, so Aria quickly pushed her bags further up onto her shoulder and started walking towards the driveway. She hoped to get away unnoticed.

"There are eggs and sausage on the table in the kitchen if you're hungry," Ezra called towards her, not looking up from what he was doing.

Aria nervously stopped just outside the barn, halting where she could easily see him. "I didn't want to disturb you. Thank you for the offer but I thought it'd be best if I just got going."

"Well, the bus doesn't run through Winesburg very often, about once a week to be exact. So if you're hoping to catch it, you've got a couple hours walk to the nearest stop," Ezra replied. He sighed as he capped the gas tank and set down the empty container. Turning he walked over to lean against the wide door jam, taking in her tired appearance. "You could stay… if you wanted, I mean. I don't mind."

Aria ran a hand through her hair, worry clearly etched across her face. She had already put him out for one night, she couldn't imagine doing it for another. And how long could she realistically stay, anyways?

"It'd probably be best for all if I just left, Ezra," she whispered, looking anywhere but at him.

His brows clenched in confusion. "For who exactly, Aria? Listen, I kind of got the impression yesterday that you've nowhere to stay. I've got that guest house with no one to use it… and I'd love for you to stay, please." His eyes seemed to beg for her to agree and Chester wasted no time in running over and licking Aria's hand.

"I was offered a job yesterday in town… at Emily's?" Ezra nodded, indicating that he knew the place. "So if I stay, then I'll pay you rent. Every month. And help with groceries and whatever else I can offer."

Ezra opened his mouth, quick to refuse her money but Aria beat him to the chase. "No, Ezra. I can't be a charity case. That's not who I am. So, please, if you'll allow me to stay then you'll take the money."

Ezra let out a heavy sigh before turning and grabbing a worn out baseball cap, planting it firmly on his head. "Ok." They stared at each other for a few seconds before Aria decided to break the silence.

"So, I'll just go put my things down. Thank you again."

He nodded and turned to climb on the tractor. "Sure thing. Once you're settled, you could take a tour around the place, take Chester. If you want." Watching him, Aria couldn't help but feel an immense feeling of gratitude. He was basically taking a stranger in off the streets, no questions asked. She would make sure to repay him in every way possible. Starting the tractor, Ezra backed it out of the barn and after throwing a small smile her way, he headed towards the fields.

A couple of hours later, after finally unpacking and helping herself to Ezra's prepared breakfast (sans the sausage- she didn't eat meat), she found herself following the fence line around the property, Chester tight at her heels. The fence was definitely old, with patches repaired here and there with nonmatching lumber. She thought it gave the place character, however, and it screamed of Ezra's presence. Soon enough, she found herself so far out that she could no longer see the house and she was surrounded by trees. The entire landscape was breathtaking and she took a moment to savor the tranquility of it all. Being out here, surrounded by nothing but nature, she felt… calm.

"Hi, there. Never seen you before." Startled, Aria turned to meet the gaze of a young man standing just on the other side of the fence. He had his arms crossed, leaning over the wood, with a soft smile gracing his face. He appeared to be a few years younger than herself, with a mop of sandy brown hair and a charming smile. Extending a hand, he said, "I'm Wesley."

"Aria," she answered, shaking his hand and looking around. "I'm sorry, you just surprised me. I didn't expect to run into anyone out here."

Wesley let out a short laugh before hitching a thumb over his shoulder. "I live just out thata way. I'm… Ezra's neighbor. You must be new around here, never met anyone in Winesburg I didn't know."

Aria nodded her head, answering his inquiry. "I just got in last night. Ezra's been kind enough to offer his guest house to me. I don't know how long I'll be around though."

Wesley was silent for a moment before responding. "Well, I hope you stick around for a bit, Aria. Ezra could definitely use the company up there. He's been alone in that big house for a long while now. Don't tell him I said that, of course," he said laughing. She joined him with a small chuckle, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. There was something about Wesley that added to the calm atmosphere and she found that she was grateful for someone to actually talk to.

"It was really nice to meet you, Wesley. I should get going, though," Aria said, slowly making her way back towards the house. "Hopefully we'll run into each other again sometime."

Wesley gave her a short wave and a large smile as he watched her walk off. "Goodbye, Aria. Hope I see you around." She walked a few feet before glancing back over her shoulder towards where Wesley had called from a moment or two ago. He was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

_**EZRA**_

Ezra noticed that the warm spring weather seemed to be coming a tad early this year as he wiped the sweat from his brow while walking towards the main house. Normally Chester would be following along but the dog was mysteriously absent. He thought nothing of it, however, he was probably keeping Aria company. When he walked into the back door leading into the kitchen, he was instantly hit with the rich aroma of cooking pork roast and seasoned vegetables. Now he knew why his dog had abandoned him.

Aria, standing at the stove stirring what appeared to be a pot of homemade applesauce smiled warmly at him. "Hey! I hope you don't mind but I thought it would only be fair of me to cook dinner since you were working all day. Though I have to say that your lack of food really surprised me for a farmer."

Laughing, Ezra removed the hat from his head and hung it on a hook by the door before running his hand through his hair. "Hey, blame Harvey for that. He owns the farm down the road. I just harvest corn and other various vegetables. He's the meat man."

"That's ok, not really into meat," Aria replied with a soft smile. She turned back towards the oven and pulled the steaming roast from the heat, carefully placing it onto the table.

Ezra raised his eyebrows in surprise as he watched her. "Well, you've definitely got a knack for preparing it anyways. This looks delicious, Aria, thank you."

Aria blushed at his praise. She had never really been thanked or complimented for cooking Jake's meals. The most she got was a scoff or rough nod in acknowledgement of her hard work. Sitting across from Ezra, she helped herself to a large portion of the salad she had made and then passed him the bowl.

"So… how did the plowing go this morning? I'm sorry, I really don't know anything about the farming life," Aria joked.

Ezra let out a low chuckle as he cut into his meat. "It went well, I really caught up on seeding. I've been at it all week so it's basically done, just have to let mother nature do her part now."

They ate in silence for a few minutes and Aria was surprised at the lack of tension or awkwardness. She really felt comfortable here, and for that she was extremely grateful. "Have you always done this, then? Farming, I mean," she asked.

Nodding, Ezra replied, "I lived with my mother in New York City until I was about thirteen. Things weren't as smooth as I would've liked… so I boarded the first bus out and came to live out here with my father. She wasn't pleased at first but after seeing all she could do without having to care for me… let's just say she didn't chase after me."

Aria was quiet as she took in what he had said. Reaching over, she gently laid her hand atop his in a sign of comfort. "Well, I'm glad you were here to help me."

Ezra gave her a soft smile and squeezed her hand in reply. He didn't know much about this woman, but from what he could see, she was well worth everything he could help her with.

_**ARIA**_

When they had finished with dinner and all the dishes had been cleaned, Aria wished Ezra good night and made her way towards the guest home. She didn't know how he did it. He spent all day working in the fields and all she had done was walk for a bit and cook. Yet she was exhausted. So when her head finally hit her pillow, she was asleep within minutes.

The rise of the early morning sun awoke Aria hours later after a night of much needed rest. She could get used to this early rising thing. She ran a hand through her hair as she slowly sat up and pushed her feet into her flip flops. Padding towards the main house, she checked in the barn for Ezra but caught no sight of him. The tractor sat untouched and Chester was absent as well.

'_He must be cooking breakfast or showering still,' _Aria thought to herself. Pushing open the back door into the kitchen she was met with an empty kitchen. She noticed a plate of pancakes and toast, however, waiting on the table.

Now she was confused. It was Saturday morning, if Ezra wasn't plowing, then where was he? It wasn't long after she had dug into the breakfast he had prepared until she heard the back door open a few moments later. Turning, she met Ezra and Chester with a smile.

"Hey! I was just wondering where you were," Aria said. Ezra hung his worn out baseball cap onto its respectful hook by the door before responding.

"Just taking a look at the fields, making sure none of my hard work was undone by some stray animals."

Aria nodded in acknowledgment as she took a sip of coffee. "Listen, I thought I'd go into town today and see about getting some groceries. It's the least I can do since I've been eating all of your food."

Filling his own mug with coffee, Ezra didn't turn around as he responded. "I can take you, if you'd like, show you where everything is."

Aria smiled. She was really getting to like Ezra, though he could get a bit better at his approach to helping. "Sure, let me shower and meet you here in about a half hour?" Seeing his nod, she pushed away from the table and hastily made her way out to the guest house.

Within a half hour, she was showered, dressed and waiting on Ezra in the kitchen. Coming into the room he smiled before grabbing his hat and planting it haphazardly onto his head. Aria smiled to herself at the crooked placement and shook her head as she followed him out towards a beaten up Ford truck. He didn't seem to go anywhere without that hat. They drove in silence for a while before reaching the outer limits of the small town.

Moments later, Ezra was pulling into a parking spot in front of what appeared to be a Mom and Pop's country store. She smiled slightly at the appearance. It seemed as if everything about Winesburg was well used and run down. The entire town was perfect.

Following behind Ezra, she listened to a bell ring out above the door as they entered the shop. A gentle, older woman sat behind the counter and gave Ezra a small wave as she caught sight of him. Other than her, however, there was no one else in the store. Ezra quickly picked up a small basket and headed down the first aisle, with Aria picking one up as well and following right behind him. As they spent the next hour filling the baskets, Aria let her mind wonder back to Rosewood. How was Jake handling her absence? Had he even noticed that she was gone? How was Hanna? All of these questions and more caused her to bump right into the back of Ezra when he came to a stop in front of the beer cooler.

Ezra caught her elbow, catching her before she fell, and shot her a small smile. Reaching around to scratch the back of his neck he nervously looked at the shelves of alcohol through the cooled glass door. "I dunno if you like to drink or anything… but you're more than welcome to grab something."

Aria quickly shook her head. Alcohol reminded her of Jake and she didn't need any reminders of him anymore. "No. I don't drink."

Ezra smiled before he continued walking. "I don't either." In Aria's opinion, he had just gotten even greater, if that was possible.

The bell suddenly rang out as more customers entered the store.

"Ezra, Man, what's going on? It's been too long," a man greeted as he and, whom Aria assumed was his wife, approached. After clapping Ezra on his shoulder, he caught sight of Aria and flashed her a warm smile, thrusting his hand out towards her. "Hi, there! I'm Toby and this is my wife, Spencer. I don't think we've met before?"

Shaking his hand, Aria smiled in return. "Aria. I'm new to town. Ezra's letting me use his guest house for the time being."

"Well, I'm glad he's finally got some company out there," Toby replied. He turned back towards Ezra. "Hey, did you hear that the Mathews are sponsoring an addition to the field house for the high school?"

As the conversation turned towards athletics and school related activities, Aria quickly found herself losing interest and wandered off towards the feminine hygiene aisle. She figured she'd spare Ezra that trip.

"So how long are you going to be around for?" a female voice asked from behind her as she looked over the various products lining the shelves. She turned to find Spencer behind her, a kind expression covering her face. "Not meaning to pry or anything, I'm just curious is all."

Aria smiled as she responded. "I don't know, really. I just got in a few days ago. I was offered a job, though, over at Emily's."

"Emily said she'd finally found some help. She's my best friend, we've known each other since we were in diapers," Spencer replied. She chuckled before rolling her eyes as she continued. "Though she can be a bit pushy when it comes to her café. Don't let her intimidate you, she's really nice. Maybe we could all go out for lunch or something? To the city, I mean. I don't know if you noticed yet, but Winesburg has a total of one restaurant. And Mr. Semens has already hit his quota for awkwardness with me this week."

Aria laughed as she listened to Spencer. "Sure, I'd like that. Here let me give you my cell phone number. I could really use a girls day." She recited the number of the prepaid phone she'd bought for her escape from Rosewood and after wishing Spencer farewell, quickly located Ezra as he made his way to check out.

"Got everything?" Seeing her nod, Ezra helped to unload her items. She had been in Winesburg a total of two days now, and already she had more friends than back in Rosewood. She could get use to this place, she really could.

**I just wanted to wish everyone state side a Happy Thanksgiving! As you eat your turkey and pumpkin pie, don't forget that this day is about appreciating everything you have, and I am extremely grateful for my readers! Have a safe holiday!**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_**ARIA**_

Aria and Ezra found themselves falling into a comfortable schedule as they made their way through the weekend. Shockingly she found out that being a farmer meant working during almost every hour the sun was up, including the weekends, and she again marveled at how he was able to accomplish all that he did. Monday morning rolled around and as Aria stepped out from the shower, she heard a large ruckus coming from the direction of Ezra's barn. Confused, she quickly dressed and headed out to see what was going on; Ezra usually took care to stay quiet for her sake during these early hours. Walking into the barn, she found a young man with curly brown hair shoveling mulch from the back of his truck bed out onto a growing pile a few feet out. He looked up upon hearing Aria clear her throat.

"Hello, there!" Removing his gloves, he wiped his sweaty hands onto the legs of his trousers before hopping down and making his wave over. Extending a hand for her to shake, he took a quick once over of Aria before continuing. "Well it looks like Ez has been keeping some secrets while I've been away. Name's Wren, I'm Ezra's farm hand."

"Aria," she replied. She knit her brows in bewilderment at the heavy British accent resounding from Ezra's partner. Noticing her confusion, Wren gave a short laugh as he crossed his arms over his chest and squinted into the early morning sun.

"Yeah, the accent gets most people out in these parts. I'm from England but moved out to the states a few years back. Did the whole hitch hiking across the country gig before I came back east and settled here in Winesburg. Ezra's been letting me help out around here."

Aria smiled as she responded, "He's a very generous man." A quiet moment befell the two before Chester came pouncing into the barn, eagerly running over to Wren and jumping at his side.

"Glad to see you're back. I finished most of the plowing over the weekend but this mulch will have to be laid around the property lines before that storm rolls through later this week," Ezra greeted Wren. He flashed Aria a soft smile as he came to a stop by her side. "What time do you need to be at Emily's, Aria? That is today, right?"

Nodding her head, Aria took a quick glance at her cell phone to check the time. "She's expecting me in about an hour, so I should probably get going. It was nice to meet you, Wren." She gave him a small wave before heading out of the barn and towards the main house. Though the guest house was equipped with its own kitchen, she found she preferred spending her meals with Ezra so she actually had no food out there.

"Give me a second, I'll be back," she heard Ezra call to Wren before his soft footsteps followed her outside. A second later he was next to her, reaching into his pockets and pulling out a set of keys. "You can use the truck to get in to town, Aria. Here's the spare set, along with a copy of the house keys for if you get back and I'm ever not here."

She came to a sudden stop and looked at Ezra in shock. "Ezra, you've known me all of what? Four days now? I can't take your truck and house keys, it's too much."

Reaching towards her, Ezra gently grasped her hand in his, pressing the keys lightly to her palm before hesitantly running his thumb across the back of her knuckles. "You can and you will, Aria. I'm not about to let you walk everyday back and forth into town. And I don't use the truck much but if I do need to get somewhere, I have Wren, and Hardy's a phone call away."

She let out a soft sigh before reluctantly nodding her head in agreement and accepting the keys from him. "Thank you."

"Have a good first day at work. We'll be here when you get back." Smiling towards her, Ezra turned and headed back towards the barn.

When Aria arrived at Emily's later that morning, she was instantly greeted by the young woman and thrown right into the chaotic environment enveloping the small café. The population of Winesburg may not be that large, but it seemed as if every person came through the shop that day and more than once. Aria was quick to catch on, however, and she found that she greatly enjoyed working there. Emily was very welcoming and she imagined that they would become close friends with time. Their relationship made her miss Hanna.

By the time Saturday came back around, she was exhausted. Pulling herself from her warm bed, Aria let out a large yawn before shuffling towards the door and pushing her way out into the warm spring morning.

"Morning, beautiful," Wren called out from back deck as she climbed the creaky stairs towards him. Aria rolled her eyes at his greeting and mumbled something non-coherent back in reply. Wren extended a coffee cup in her direction as she came up next to him and she gladly accepted it. Leaning against the railing surrounding the deck, he sipped his own drink before striking up conversation. "Ezra's been working me to the bone all week, glad it's finally Saturday, he usually calms down on the weekend."

Aria let out a short laugh as she took in the early morning scenery surrounding the property. "He seems to take great pride in his farm. I imagine that extends to every aspect of his work."

"It does," Wren agreed. After a short moment, he set his cup down and turned to face her completely. "So where are you from exactly? Kinda odd just showing up out of the blue and all…"

Aria was quiet for a minute as she thought over her response. She hadn't felt comfortable telling anyone her story yet and she didn't intend to start with Ezra's farmhand. "I'm originally from Pennsylvania. Needed a new start, you know?"

Wren nodded his head in agreement. "Oh, I know all about that. You know what would really help with this new start, though? A date. With me. Let me take you to dinner sometime?"

Aria sucked in her breath in surprise, she hadn't expected that. Before she could reply, however, Ezra was climbing the stairs and loudly making his presence known. By the look on his face, she could tell that he had heard the last part of their conversation and with little more than a nod in greeting, he pushed his way inside the house.

Turning back towards Wren, Aria set her cup down before averting her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Listen, Wren, you seem like a great guy but-"

"-but you're waiting on someone else," he finished for her, knowingly looking towards the house with a small smile. Aria knit her brows in confusion.

"What? No. I just… I haven't been out here long and I need time for myself right now. You understand, right?"

Wren smiled at her in response before pushing off the railing and heading down towards his truck. "Well… he's definitely waiting on you. Don't make him wait too long, though. Later, Aria."

As she watched him pull away, she shook her head in exasperation. He was reading too much into her and Ezra's relationship, she was sure of it. Grabbing the two mugs, Aria made her way into the small kitchen and greeted Ezra as he sat at the table reading the morning paper. He grunted in reply but didn't look up. Now she was even more confused. Had she done something to offend him?

Attempting to make small talk, she said, "So I see you were out early again this morning. Checking on the crops?"

Ezra nodded in reply but didn't make an effort to continue the conversation. Aria sighed as she pushed a stray strand of hair behind her hair and made her way to the sink to wash the mugs. If he wanted to stew in jealousy, or anger, or whatever emotion he was feeling, then fine, she would let him.

That attitude, however, continued for the remainder of the weekend and throughout the following week. Aria found it difficult to hold a conversation with Ezra, let alone eat a meal at the same table. He was cold, never making eye contact and leaving whatever room they were both in as soon as possible. She desperately wanted to fix whatever she had done to cause this dramatic change in him, but she honestly didn't know what that was. Luckily, Aria found herself being completely consumed with work throughout the week, so by the time she made it back to the farm, she did little else other than to eat dinner and go to bed.

Rolling out of bed Saturday morning, Aria decided that today would be the day she would attempt to mend whatever rift had come between her and Ezra. She badly wanted the old Ezra back and she was determined to find him again. Walking into the kitchen, she wasn't surprised that he and Chester were nowhere to be found. It seemed like every Saturday morning was spent out on the property checking on something, though she never did see what he was doing exactly. She didn't have to wait long, however, before Ezra was pushing his way into the house, Chester tight at his heels.

"Good morning," Aria greeted him. Ezra nodded as he turned to pull a water bottle from the fridge. "Look, Ezra, I wanted to apologize for whatever it is that I've said or done to offend you. It has never been my intention to put you off in any way."

Ezra didn't reply for a moment and Aria nervously wrung her hands as she awaited his response. Chester came to lie at her feet but she didn't stoop to pet him, instead focusing solely on the man leaning against the counter a few feet away.

Sighing, he set the bottle down before finally meeting her gaze. "I'm the one who should be apologizing, Aria. You've done nothing wrong." He pushed off the counter and made to pass her but Aria stuck her hand out and grasped his arm in confusion.

"What is it then? Can you please let me in for once?"

Ezra quickly turned towards her. "You don't know me, Aria. You sleep in my home, eat at my table, make passes at my help-"

"Wren came on to me, Ezra! And I told him no," Aria harshly interrupted him. This shocked Ezra so much so that an awkward silence instantly fell between the two. Roughly pushing his hand through his sweaty hair, Ezra nervously lifted his eyes to meet her stare.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have assumed…"

Aria nodded her head in agreement. "No, you shouldn't have. And if my being here is becoming an inconvenience for you, then I can go. I would never want to out stay my welcome." Turning to leave, it was Ezra's turn to gently grab her arm, halting her movement.

"Please, don't go. I've been an ass. And I'm extremely sorry for that. I just… I was jealous," Ezra whispered so softly Aria almost missed it. "I know now that there's nothing to be jealous about but I was. And I'm sorry. I acted like a child."

Deciding to be brave, Aria took a step closer to him and ran her hand through the hair hanging across his forehead. "Ezra, I cannot begin to express my gratitude for everything you've done for me. Meeting you has been the best thing to happen to me in a long time. I want to help you in return. With everything I possibly can. So please, just talk to me before making assumptions or blowing me off." Smiling at him, she grabbed his hand. "I think this situation can do us both some good, so let's start over. Please." Ezra nodded once with a large grin before pulling her to him and enveloping her in a soft embrace. They needed to work on trusting one another but they both knew now that the other would be there, no matter what.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

_**ARIA**_

"Do you have any plans for the day?" Aria asked Ezra as she busied herself chopping vegetables for a salad. It was very advantageous to be a vegetarian living with a vegetable farmer.

Ezra smiled at her from the table where he was busing fixing some kind of older model radio. He seemed to have a fascination with the contraption and was devastated when it had stopped working all of a sudden yesterday. "I think I'll probably run into town soon. See if I can grab some spare parts for this radio. I'd really hate to throw it away." Sighing, he put down the screwdriver he'd been using and shifted so that he was facing Aria. "You're more than welcome to join me, if you'd like."

Aria looked up from where she was working and contemplated the invitation for a moment. Shaking her head slightly, she replied, "I think I'll actually just stay here, if you don't mind. I think I'd like to take a walk for a bit, before that storm they keep promising will come hits us."

Ezra shot a glance out the kitchen window at the darkening sky. It was early in the afternoon on Sunday and although it wasn't stifling hot out, the heavy mugginess in the air promised of impending showers. He turned his worried gaze back towards Aria. "Are you sure? I'd hate for you to get caught out in the rain…"

"I'll be fine, Ezra. A little rain won't hurt me… or Chester, since I'm sure he wants to come along," Aria replied, smiling down at the dog at his feet. Chester looked up at the sound of his name and wagged his tail happily.

"Traitor," Ezra told the dog, rolling his eyes and standing from the table. "I'm going to get going, then. Take your cell phone so that you can call if you need me… for anything. Please."

Smiling at him, Aria turned to wipe her hands on a hand towel lying on the counter and then pushed the salad bowl into the fridge for later. "Sure. Same for you, though." Ezra nodded in agreement and after pulling his well-used cap onto his head, he grabbed his keys and headed out the door towards his truck.

"Come on, Chester. Let's go for a walk," Aria called to the dog moments after she watched Ezra's taillights disappear down the driveway. Chester instantly jumped to his feet and panting followed Aria out towards the fields.

As they walked, Aria took a glance at the dark clouds rolling in across the sky. The storm approaching was sure to help Ezra's crops, at least that was what she remembered learning about in school when they had briefly gone over agriculture. She smiled lightly at the sound of thunder resonating in the distance. She had always liked rain storms, the sound of constant water against the roof and the flash of lightening whispered of powers stronger than herself and in that she took comfort.

It wasn't long before she found herself surrounded by the trees at the far end of Ezra's property. Aria realized that this was becoming one of her favorite spots on his land. It was secluded, quiet. The sound of a snapping twig caused her to quickly turn her head, peering into the surrounding foliage. Soon enough, Wesley appeared, brandishing the same goofy grin she had last seen him with, hands shoved in his pockets and feet scuffing the ground as he walked.

"You do know that it's about to pour cats and dogs out here right?" he asked with a smile.

Aria rose one of her eyebrows in a mock challenge. "Oh yeah? Well, you do know that in some towns it's considered stalking to keep running into a person at the same place every time they're there, right?"

Wesley chuckled in response, folding his arms across the top of the fence separating them and casually leaning against it. "So how's it going down there? Ezra treating you alright?"

Aria nodded her head, turning so she could lean back against the wooden fence next to him as she answered. "He's been great, really. I love it out here." The sudden clap of thunder, caused Aria to jump slightly from her spot against the fence and her heart raced for a moment from the rush of adrenaline.

"Gosh, you city folks act as if you ain't ever heard thunder before," Wesley laughed. A rush of wind and the sound of falling branches caused Aria to spin her head towards the surrounding trees. As much as she loved rain, she hated the darkness that usually accompanied it. As she peered into the surrounding shadows, she swore she saw a man's shadow dancing behind the trees. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart was suddenly thundering in her chest.

"We know what thunder is," she replied with a forced smile. "Though I'm pretty sure I saw a glimpse of a frightened tear in _your_ eye."

Laughing, Wesley countered, "Sure, sure. Was that an attempt to humiliate me or something?"

Upon hearing his reply, Aria instantly stilled. Those were the exact words Jake had thrown at her the night they had met Hanna and Caleb at that bar in Rosewood. Without warning, she pushed herself off the fence and turned to hurry back towards Ezra's house.

"Aria? Are you ok?" Wesley called after her. She didn't bother to respond to him, instead breaking out into a run in her urgency to get back. She knew what a panic attack felt like, she'd had plenty of them living with Jake. The last thing she wanted was to break down in front of someone she barely knew, so she desperately wanted to get out of there. Halfway through the fields, however, the skies opened up. Rain was suddenly drenching her and Chester as they picked up their pace, full out sprinting back towards the house. Ezra's headlights were pulling up to the side of the back deck as she made her way back.

Catching the frantic look in her eyes, he called out to her when he climbed out of the vehicle. "Aria? What's wrong?" Her sudden fright and the pounding rain were abruptly too much for her to handle. She came to a stop a few feet away and just broke down. It was the first time that she had allowed herself to cry since leaving Rosewood. It was the first time she had allowed herself to really feel the consequences of her decisions. Ezra instantly dropped his shopping bag onto the hood of the truck and turned to pull her into his arms, ignoring the storm surrounding them.

"Hey, come on now. Shhhh, it'll be alright," he whispered quietly. He ran one hand through her wet hair as the other rubbed her back softly. "Come on, let's get out of this rain." Ezra gently led them towards the main house, opening the back door and leading her into the living room to sit her down on the couch. He disappeared for a moment but quickly returned with a couple towels, handing her one to dry off with as he used another on himself. He knelt, then, to start a fire in the fireplace, hoping that would help to dry them off even faster.

"I'm sorry, Ezra," Aria said quietly, hiccupping slightly. Though her tears had stopped, her face remained bright red from crying and her eyes were still wet. When she used the towel to pat her hair dry, Ezra caught sight of a scar just above her eyebrow. He turned a confused gaze towards her and rose to sit down next to her on the plush leather sofa. "I've- I've got to tell you how I ended up on the bus through Winesburg," she whispered.

"Aria, you don't have to tell me anything," Ezra replied. He reached over to gently clasp her hand in his, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her palm.

She shook her head at his reply, averting her eyes and sniffling slightly. She was sure she looked an absolute mess. "Yes I do. I think… I think it might help me, too," she whispered. Nodding, Ezra pulled her to his side and softly pushed her head down to rest on his shoulder as he settled in to listen to her story.

_**JAKE**_

It had been almost three weeks now since he had last seen or heard from his wife. He had questioned everyone he could think of and no one knew where she was. Angrily, he pounded his fists against the steering wheel to his car as he sat outside the Rosewood police station. He hadn't yet talked to the authorities about her disappearance as he didn't want them diving too much into his personal life, but he had connections and was determined to use them to find Aria.

Jake hastily pushed open the door of the car when he spotted the man he was waiting for exit out the back entrance to the building. He picked up his pace and soon enough was a few feet behind him.

"Picking up some overtime this weekend?" He called out. The man turned with a confused expression on his face but upon seeing his friend, a smile instantly graced his features.

"Crime doesn't run on an 8-5 schedule. Come on, Jake, you know that," the detective replied. "How are you? How's Aria?"

Jake released an aggravated sigh in response, hastily shoving his hand through his hair and rocking back onto the heels of his feet. "That's why I'm here. My wife's gone missing and I need your help, Wilden."

**What do y'all think so far? I'm working on building a relationship with Aria and Ezra while keeping the tension of her past life going. I hope that's coming across. Let me know your thoughts!**


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

_**EZRA**_

After hearing Aria's troubles and the life she had abandoned just a state away, Ezra was more determined than ever to help her. She was the kind of person that didn't deserve the treatment she had received back in Rosewood and he was the kind of guy that would give everything he had to care for her. Aria, grateful that he hadn't turned her away upon learning about Jake, had taken to spending every waking moment (outside of work that is) attempting to build a steady relationship with Ezra. She wanted to know him just as well as he knew her. Unfortunately, Ezra was still tight lipped about his personal life before meeting her. Not wanting to prod, she didn't push him to share. He would talk to her when he was ready, just as she had turned to him.

In her attempt to reach out to him, Aria insisted upon taking on some more responsibilities around the farm. She saw how hard he worked every day and wanted to help out when she wasn't at Emily's. In response, Ezra allowed her to tend to their small, personal vegetable garden just out behind the barn. He showed her how to tend to the crops, how to tell when the vegetables were ripe and how to harvest them. She took to the job instantly with a smile on her face. This is where Ezra found her a little over a week later when he returned from the supplies store in town.

"Hey, there," he greeted, walking between the tiny rows of cherry tomatoes and potatoes. "How's it going out here?"

Aria smiled up at him from where she kneeled, pulling weeds and dead plants. "Good! Check out this cucumber! I think it's the biggest one I've grown yet!" Proudly, she held up the vegetable, waiting for his approval.

Ezra laughed, taking the cucumber in his hands and carefully inspecting it. "This looks incredible, Aria. You'll be a farmer yet." At that moment, they heard the sound of a vehicle making its way up the dirt road. Aria rose to follow Ezra out to the main house in order to see who had come to pay them a visit.

Stepping from his car, Ezra and Aria were greeted by an exhausted looking Toby. "Hey, guys! Hope I'm not disturbing your weekend."

"Nah, we're just finishing up some small chores here and there. How are you?" Ezra replied, shaking his hand and crossing his arms across his chest.

Chuckling, Toby sat down on the hood of his dusty car before responding. "Tired. Spencer's had me shopping all day with her for paint, stencils, and carpeting. We're turning that guest room into a baby room."

A huge smile instantly broke out across Ezra's face. "Congratulations, man! I didn't know you two were expecting!" Clapping him on the back, the pair shared an awkward man hug for a moment. Aria laughed at the sight.

"We just found out a few weeks ago. Don't tell anyone though, we haven't spread the word yet," Toby said. "But speaking of Spencer, she actually sent me down here to invite you guys out tonight. She thinks I'm keeping her captive at home because of the pregnancy and is insisting that we have a night out. Maybe go over to the Thirsty Cowboy for a bit?"

Ezra's questioning gaze met Aria's and upon seeing her shrug her shoulders, he turned back towards Toby. "Sure, that sounds like fun. We'll meet you there at eight." Chester suddenly came bounding up and proceeded to run circles around the three of them, jumping on Ezra's pant leg, demanding attention.

Aria laughed as she took in the dog's enthusiastic actions. "Looks like someone needs to let out a little energy. I'll take him for a walk and let you gentlemen carry on." Ezra smiled as he watched her walk off, Chester happily trotting along at her side.

Toby watched as Ezra's gaze followed Aria around the back of the house until she was out of sight. "She's something, isn't she?"

Ezra unfolded his arms and shoved his hands into his pockets before responding. "Yeah, she really is. I'm glad she stumbled through Winesburg, though."

"Sometimes it takes a good friendship to develop into something more before we realize when we've met our other half. Look at me and Spence. That woman got on my every last nerve when I first met her. Remember when she challenged me to that math competition in high school, all so she could prove that girls were just as smart as boys?" Toby asked with a laugh.

Ezra chuckled, nodding his head slightly. "Yeah, I remember she wiped the floor with your butt. I don't think I've ever seen someone scratch out a math theorem as fast as she did. It was kinda embarrassing."

Knocking his shoulder against Ezra's, Toby jumped off the car and went to climb in. "Whatever, all I'm saying is don't overlook what's right in front of you. We'll see you both tonight."

"Later," Ezra replied, waving slightly. Watching as Toby's car made its way down his drive Ezra shook his head, laughing to himself. He felt an undeniable pull towards Aria, that was for certain, but he hadn't been in a serious relationship… ever. Sure he'd gone on a few dates, but nothing stuck and he had resolved to living single for the rest of his life. Maybe that'd change now that Aria was here.

Later that night, Ezra found himself sitting at a four person table just a few feet out from the bar at the local tavern. It was a Saturday night, meaning there was a live band and the dance floor was crowded with as many townies as was possible, all trying to dance in sync to some line dance that Ezra didn't know. He actually thought the site was quite amusing.

What was even more amusing, though, was the site of a drunk Aria sitting next to him. Nursing his beer, he laughed at something Toby said and casually leaned back in his chair to wrap an arm across the back of Aria's chair. Though they both swore they didn't drink, a few beverages out with their friends wouldn't hurt anyone. He steadied her as he caught site of her almost falling off the chair and used the opportunity to keep his arm firmly wrapped around her. Toby gave him a knowing wink and turned to answer a question from Spencer. Ezra just rolled his eyes.

"Aria, you agree with me, right?" Spencer asked. Aria turned a confused gaze her way and Spencer sighed in exasperation. "I was saying that life is easier as an only child. Toby here grew up with a sister. He's trying to convince me that having a sibling is easier than not having one because there's always someone to blame stuff on."

Aria giggled at the silliness of the conversation. "Well, honestly, I'd have to agree with Toby. I have a younger brother, sorry Spencer."

Ezra shot a surprised glance her way. "You do?"

Blushing, Aria nodded. The conversation quickly turned to another topic but Ezra was left feeling like, once again, he knew very little about the woman living in his guest house. He was determined to find out everything about her, however, and he couldn't wait.

Ezra was surprised with how much he was enjoying himself that night. He didn't normally go out very often, as was evident from the occasional shocked glance thrown his way when he'd entered the bar, but he was actually having a lot of fun. The pounding music and bright lights were suddenly becoming too much, however, and he decided that upon finishing his current drink, it'd probably be best to head home.

"Your hat's pretty," Aria told him, leaning heavily into his side and reaching to play with the brim of his baseball cap. By the way she slightly slurred her words, Ezra could tell she was done for the night as well.

Chuckling, he took the hat off and plopped it on her head. "Well, you can borrow it ma'am. Just don't go losing it or nothing. That there's my favorite ball cap," he told her with a fake southern draw. She giggled at his response and pulled the cap further down on her head. Taking one last swig of his beer he stood and turned to help Aria into her jacket.

"I think we're going to head out guys. It's been fun though," Ezra told Spencer and Toby. Aria removed his hat, gently placing it (crooked of course) back atop Ezra's messy hair. He laughed at her actions and reached across to shake Toby's hand.

Nodding her head, Spencer stood to pull Aria in for a hug. "We should all do this again sometime. And definitely after I have this kid as well. Momma's gonna need a drink for sure then!" Laughing, Aria returned Spencer's hug and they waved farewell before making their way out towards Ezra's truck. He held open the door for her and waited until she was safely sitting inside before closing it and walking around to the driver's side.

The ride back to the farm was silent for the most part until Aria piped up from her spot curled up against Ezra's right side. "Thank you for taking me in and helping me. I know we don't know too much about each other still but you've really saved my life," she told him quietly. Ezra responded by wrapping an arm across her shoulders and pressing a soft kiss to her hair as he drove. Little did she know, she was saving his life as much as he was saving hers.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

_**EZRA**_

"Where are you headed off to?" he heard Aria call from just over his shoulder. It was the Sunday morning following their night out at the bar and he honestly had expected her to still be in bed nursing a bad hangover for most of the day. Yet, sunrise came and here she was, quietly padding over to where he was loading the back of Wren's truck with lumber and various tools. He shot her a soft smile as he pushed the truck bed door closed and turned to lean against it, waiting on his farmhand to return from the kitchen.

"We're headed off to the far end of the property. Looks like that storm a week or so ago knocked down a tree or two, damaging my fence. Didn't see it, though, until a few days ago," Ezra told her. As Aria nodded in response and turned to lean against the truck next to him, he took a moment to take in her appearance. It was early morning, so she was unshowered, but she radiated a beauty that couldn't be argued with. Though she wore no makeup and her hair wasn't yet styled, Ezra thought that she was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He quickly averted his eyes before Aria caught him staring.

Wren came walking over from the house a moment later, holding two thermoses of coffee as he did. "There she is! Ez made you some strong coffee and a platter of fruit and pancakes for your hangover this morning. Don't worry, I sampled all of it and everything is thoroughly cooked this time," Wren joked.

A blush filled Ezra's cheeks and he rolled his eyes before turning to pull open the driver's door. "We'll be back around lunch, Aria. Don't worry about cleaning up or anything, just take it easy," Ezra told her with concern. He had enough experience from his younger days to know that the amount of alcohol she had consumed last night had to be hurting this morning.

She laughed and waved them off before heading towards the house. Somehow he knew that she wouldn't take his suggestion. Sighing, Ezra pulled the truck into drive and headed for where his fields met the trees.

When he and Wren reached the part of the fence that needed mended, they wasted no time in quickly unloading the truck. As they worked to clear away the debris and broken wood, Ezra found his mind wandering once again to the petite woman back at his house. She was slowly pulling him from his self-absorbed bubble, even he could see that. Before she arrived, Wren was really the only one he conversed with on a daily schedule. Now he was making time to hang out more with Toby, Wren, heck even Hardy. A small smile lit his face as he thought of the huge impact she was having on his life.

All of a sudden, Wren was yelling at him from a few feet away. "Ezra, stop! Watch out!" Without warning, the dead tree he had been working at uprooting was falling towards him, knocking away the remainder of the fence and full out smacking into Ezra's left side. Fortunately, he was able to get out of the way before the tree pinned him down but not without enduring a significant gash to his left shoulder. He fell to the ground after taking the impact of the large tree and sat there for a moment, catching his breath and trying to calm his racing heart.

Wren came rushing over, dropping his tools and falling to his knees by Ezra's side. "Shoot! What were you thinking? You should have waited on me to help with that tree! Oh man, you're bleeding… I hate blood," Wren's face was slowly losing color as he took in the blood slowly staining through the flannel shirt Ezra was wearing. He couldn't help but let out a short laugh at his friend's response. Ezra slowly sat up and retrieved his hat from where it had fallen a foot away, hastily shoving it onto his head.

"Let's leave this for tomorrow," he said shakily, climbing to his feet and wincing as he felt the sharp tug the movement caused in his shoulder. He was too afraid to look at it but he was sure it didn't look pretty.

Wren eagerly nodded his head before helping Ezra into the passenger's side of the truck and grabbing their tools. He hastily jumped into the driver's side and wasted no time in driving them back towards the house.

_**ARIA**_

When the two of them stumbled into the kitchen, Ezra leaning heavily onto Wren as they walked, they were greeted by Aria washing up the dishes from breakfast. "Hey! You guys were fast- Ezra! What happened?!" She instantly dropped the pan she'd been scrubbing and rushed to Ezra's side, helping Wren to sit him down at one of the kitchen table chairs. She winced as she helped to remove his shirt and took in the damage from the tree.

Seeing Wren's pale face and shaking hands, she turned her focus to him for a moment. "I think I can handle this, Wren. Why don't you take off? I don't need you passing out on me." Wren was quick to agree and was gone before Aria could thank him for his help.

Turning back towards Ezra she watched as he removed his cap and leaned exhausted against the wall behind him, closing his eyes as he did. She scurried away to grab a bowl, some wet washcloths and a few towels. When she returned, she carefully started to wash the blood away, wincing as she took in the gash and other smaller lacerations he had endured. It didn't look serious enough to warrant seeing a doctor but she was sure he'd be hurting for the next week at least.

"Hey, look at me, please," Aria whispered as she worked. It made her nervous that Ezra was so quiet and still as she cleaned him up. She didn't need _him_ passing out. Watching as he opened his eyes, Aria looked up and met his gaze, flashing him a small smile before turning to grab some iodine to sterilize the wound.

"This is going to smart just a tad. Hold my hand?" Ezra instantly latched onto her hand and she cringed when he almost crushed her fingers upon application of the medication. He released a sigh, however, once the stinging subsided and Aria had applied a clean bandage, almost wrapping up his entire left shoulder. "That should do it, though we'll have to change this bandage frequently. It'll probably bleed for a while yet."

Ezra once again met her gaze as he moved to sit up in the chair. He reached forward with his right hand to smooth away some hair from her face and all was silent for a few moments. "Thank you, Aria," he whispered. The air suddenly seemed to thicken with undeniable tension and before Ezra could really think through his actions, he was leaning forward and pressing his lips to Aria's. After overcoming her initial shock, Aria tentatively wrapped her hands around Ezra's neck, playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck, as she responded to his kiss.

He pulled away after a moment and didn't break her gaze as he watched a blush instantly fill her cheeks. He was suddenly nervous, pushing away from the table and hastily making to exit upstairs. "I'm- I'm sorry, Aria. I need… I need to shower." With that, he was gone.

_**HANNA**_

Walking into her modest two-story home she shared with Caleb, Hanna hesitantly pushed a hand through her hair. She was unbelievably worried about Aria. Ever since Jake had made that unwelcome appearance at her shop weeks ago threatening her, she had done her own searching for her best friend. She didn't want Jake to be the first to find her.

"Hey, you're home early," she greeted her fiancé. Although it was Sunday afternoon, he had been called in for a tech job over at a business in town. He sat at the kitchen island, laptop in front of him, staring intently at the screen. He broke his intense gaze for a moment to flash a quick smile at her before turning back towards the computer.

"I finished fixing that code over at the law firm and came home to follow up on that lead you found. Let me ask you a question, though. If you were to board a bus outta Rosewood, where would you get off? This just seems so random to me…" he trailed off.

About a week ago, Hanna had trailed Aria's disappearance to the bus station in Ravenswood. She had a friend working the ticket booth over there who, although he didn't know Aria personally, was able to confirm that he'd seen her the night Jake said she'd left. Funny enough, on her way out of the terminal, she ran into Detective Darren Wilden. That guy always gave her the creeps. She was pretty sure she had gotten out of there before he noticed her, but she was now worried that Jake was on Aria's trail as much as she was. She knew they were friends.

"According to the bus manuscripts from that night, only two lines were leaving after seven. At least until around six the next morning," Caleb told her. "One headed North towards Maine, the other West towards Ohio. Does Aria have any family or friends in either of those directions?"

Hanna shook her head as she responded. "Jake pretty much insured that she had no friends, Caleb. That man completely controlled her life. But if I had to guess… I'd say she went towards Ohio. I mean, you can go West for a while. You can only go North for so long before you're in Canada. I'd want to get as far from that man as possible."

Caleb smiled, agreeing with Hanna's assessment. She often came off as a silly, blond haired girl but it was moments like these that Caleb knew she was anything but dumb. "The Ohio line it is then. Baby, it looks like it's time for us to take a trip."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

_**ARIA**_

Shocked and hurt by Ezra's reaction to their kiss, Aria decided to follow his lead and get as far away from him as she could. Pushing out the back door, she didn't notice Chester trotting along behind her until she was halfway across the fields. She shook her head and smiled at the dog, forcing the tears in her eyes to retreat. She wouldn't cry, there was obviously more to Ezra's story than she knew and she just needed to hear him out. The problem was getting him to talk.

She collapsed against the first tree she came to, unable to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks any longer. She pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face into her arms, until everything around her was blocked out. Coming from a relationship were she was constantly rejected and scorned, she didn't take Ezra's reaction to their embrace lightly. Calming down slightly, she reached into her pockets for her iPod and hastily shoved the ear buds into place, clicking on the first song she came to. Music had always been one of her forms of reprieve.

"_I got a funny feeling, the moment that your lips touched mine. Something shot right through me. My heart skipped a beat in time. There's a different feel about you tonight…"_

"Hey, are you ok?" Lifting her head from arms, Aria's gaze met Wesley's where he stood a few feet away just beyond the section of fence Ezra and Wren had been working on. He made no move to come any closer, but stooped to lightly pet Chester who eagerly went to meet him.

Aria nodded her head, roughly wiping the tears from her face and removing the ear buds as she stood. "I'm fine. It's nothing, really."

Wesley let out a short scoff in reply, folding his arms across his chest he smiled at her. "Don't seem like nothing. I don't usually run out to the woods and cry by myself when I'm fine. But that's just me."

Aria replied with a soft giggle. As odd as he was, she could sense that Wes was truly worried for her. "I just… Ezra and I got into a small disagreement. I'll be fine."

Unfolding his arms and turning to lean back against the fence, Aria was left staring at the back of Wesley's head as she heard him release a large sigh. "Ezra's a difficult man, Aria. He's- he's gone through a lot of shit in his life. His story isn't mine to tell, just… just give him time. He'll come 'round."

Aria leaned against the framework next to him, nodding her head though she knew he couldn't see her. "I understand about a rough life, I really do. I'm just trying to not let our pasts collide enough that there's an explosion. That's hard when I'm the only one sharing my side of the story."

"You know, I've known Ezra for just about as long as I can remember. He fascinated me, always being the mysterious kinda dude," Wesley started. He lent to pick up a branch, using it to draw random patterns in the dirt as he talked. "I used to follow that guy around like a lost puppy, always wanting to do what he did and go where he went."

Chuckling, Wesley suddenly flung the stick as far as he could, watching as Chester chased after it. "He never complained, never said anything about it. At first, he was really reserved, reluctant to talk much or to invite me out anywhere. I had always assumed it was because he wasn't used to hanging out with younger kids. What I came to realize, though, was that I wasn't the problem. With time he eventually came around, learning to enjoy our time together. We each have our deamons, Aria, you just have to let Ezra work through his."

Aria looked out beyond the tree lines, back towards the house where she had just come. Ezra was a kind, decent man. He had been opening up to her so much lately. Was she really willing to let their relationship completely fall apart because he was afraid of one kiss? Whistling for Chester, she bid Wesley farewell and headed back home.

_**EZRA**_

"God dammit," he swore under his breath as he lifted his injured arm in an attempt to put on a clean shirt. He felt absolutely horrible about abandoning Aria after their kiss. He just… he had some things she needed to know about first before they could be together like that. She deserved more than that, more than a broken down version of him.

Sitting down heavily on his bed, he ran his right hand through his damp hair and released a soft sigh. The sound of the front door opening down stairs resonated a moment later and Toby's voice called out through the house. "Ez? Aria? Anybody home?"

"Up here, Toby," Ezra called back. He was still struggling to button his shirt when Toby entered the room seconds later.

"Damn, man, what happened?" Toby asked as he came over to help button the shirt for him.

"Thanks. And nothing, just got caught under a tree mending my fence," Ezra replied. He shook his head, turning to grab his cell phone from his dresser as he followed Toby down the stairs. He noticed that Aria was no longer in the kitchen when they reached the room and it instantly made him feel ten times worse. He prayed he hadn't driven her off. "What are you doing here, by the way?"

Sitting at the table across from Toby, he was shocked into silence when Toby pushed a small jewelry box his way. "Dude, you know I love you like a brother but I'm going to have to say no," Ezra laughed, picking up the box.

"I'm not proposing to you," Toby shot back with a grin. "I actually meant to bring this along with me last night but I forgot. Your Dad gave this to me… I thought it was about time you had it, though."

Opening the jewelry box, Ezra was left speachless as he took in the magnificent diamond ring resting in the plush cushion lining the container. He lifted the ring out to inspect it closer and caught sight of the initials _BJF_ etched on the inside of the tiny band.

"Where'd you get this?" Ezra asked, astonished.

Toby reached for the ring, turning it in his hand so that it caught the light shining through the small kitchen window. "Before you got here, I used to help your Dad out around this place," he started. "I was cleaning out the guest rooms upstairs when I came across this ring. I gave it to your Dad but he insisted that I hold on to it. He didn't know about you at the time, of course. It was your grandmother's."

"Barbara Jean Fitzgerald," Ezra whispered. He was suddenly hit with the weight of his family's history, with a past he knew very little about, and he was sad. He was sad that he would never get the chance to know about his grandmother, his father, or any other family he might have once had here in Winesburg.

"I know that having this can never really make up for your loss but… you might want to use it someday." Seeing Ezra's shocked expression, Toby couldn't help but let out a short laugh. "Not any day soon, I'm sure, just someday…. Where is Aria, by the way?"

Ezra diverted his eyes, an embarrassed blush covering his cheeks as he refused to meet Toby's questioning gaze. "We… we kinda had a moment and I- let's just say I took it as well as I always take those pressure filled situations."

Toby released a heavy sigh as he slouched back into his seat. He held his hand out with the ring towards Ezra so he could put it back into the jewelry box. "Ezra, you can't keep letting everything that happened to you keep you from living. No one would have wanted that. Keep this ring as a reminder for now, of what you want to accomplish… and with who." Smiling, Toby stood from his chair and clapped Ezra on his uninjured shoulder before making his way out the door.

Toby was right, Ezra thought to himself. It was time to start living.

**What do y'all think? What exactly is Ezra hiding from Aria? As always, I enjoy hearing your thoughts!**


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

_**EZRA**_

Aria hadn't returned by the time Ezra had put away the ring and returned down stairs. He was getting worried. What if she had taken off? Where would she go? He had just stepped out onto the back deck, ready to climb in his truck to start searching for her when he caught sight of her petite form rounding the back of the barn. She appeared to have just returned from the fields and Chester was trotting along happily at her side. Ezra shook his head in amusement. It seemed as if his dog had chosen his allegiance and it wasn't with him.

"Hey," he said quietly when she climbed up the stairs leading onto the deck. She looked at him for a moment, wringing her hands nervously before responding.

"Hey."

Ezra sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back onto his heels as he stared at his feet. "Listen, Aria, I-"

"Ezra, it's fine. You don't have to explain anything to me. I get it," Aria interrupted. She came closer until she was standing just a foot or two away from him and reached for his hand. Neither of them said anything for a few moments, instead just choosing to enjoy the amicable silence between them. "So I saw that part of the fence you and Wren were working on and I gotta say, it looks like the tree won that battle."

Ezra chuckled in response, shaking his head slightly and interlacing their fingers as he pulled her to sit with him on the veranda porch swing. "Yeah, I didn't put up too much of fight," he told her with a smile. He pushed off against the ground to rock the bench softly as he stared off into the fields surrounding his house. He decided that Aria deserved to know something about his life before he met her. She deserved an explanation for why he had run off.

Lifting his hand, he pointed just past the barn towards the one single tree in the immediate vicinity. "You see that tree over there? The crooked one with half of its branches missing?"

Aria nodded her head in reply so he continued.

"When I first got to Winesburg and moved in with my dad, I begged him to tie up a tire swing to that tree. I'd always wanted one but living in the city had never allowed me the opportunity to try them out," Ezra smiled as he recalled the memory to her and turned to catch her gaze on him as he spoke. "I begged and begged him to put one up. Even went so far as to roll an old tire over there myself. But he refused to hang it. Told me that the tree was too old, too fragile for a swing, let alone a swing _and _a boy. So one day, while he was out working in the fields, I climbed that tree and knotted a rope all by myself, hanging the tire off of the sturdiest branch I could find. When I sat inside the tire, I got a couple good pushes out of it before the branch snapped, plummeting me to the ground and bending the tree at that weird angle you now see it at. I broke my arm in two places and when my dad got back from the fields not too much later, he took one look at me, tears rolling down my dirty face, and you know what he said?"

Aria shook her head, completely absorbed in the story he was telling her. Ezra smiled as he remembered his father's words. "He told me 'Ezra, it takes a kind man to give advice but a great one to listen.' I've never been good at listening, Aria. In fact, I've been pretty crummy at it my entire life." He ran his thumb across the back of her hand as he spoke. She could hear the strain in his voice, like it was taking everything in him to share his thoughts. "You're amazing, Aria. When you first came walking up my drive, I thought to myself, Who is this woman? Where did she come from? But most importantly, why did she choose my house, out of all the others she passed, to stop and ask for help? You've been trying to explain yourself to me from the moment you showed up and it wasn't until recently that I started listening. For that I am extremely sorry. But I'm even more sorry for not returning the gesture."

Aria reached over at that moment and ran her hand over the light stubble that had formed on his face during the course of the day. Turning his head so that she could meet his gaze, she replied, "You're not the only one that ran off, Ezra. I did too. Maybe instead of running, though, we can turn to each other when we need help. It's easier to bear your troubles when you've got some help."

Ezra smiled and pulled her tight to his side, pressing a kiss into her hair. "You're right and I may need a kick in the ass every now and then to remember that."

He pulled back slightly so that he could see her face and sat there for a moment, letting the tension subtly thicken until he was sure it was palpable to his touch. "Forgive me?" he whispered.

Aria smiled as she thought his request over. "I dunno…"

Leaning in closer until he could feel her warm breath on his face, he shifted his gaze to her soft lips. "Forgive me? Please?" After a second's hesitation, Ezra saw Aria's slight nod of her head and heard her quietly hitch her breath as he closed the distance separating them.

_**ARIA**_

A large smile had refused to leave her face after the moment she and Ezra had shared Sunday evening. Even Emily had noticed while she was at work that week.

"Someone's happy today. Actually you've been happy all week for some reason," Emily called out with a laugh as Aria wiped down the tables at the front of the café. She just smiled larger in response, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she worked. The bell above the door suddenly rang out, indicating that they had a customer.

"Hi, welcome to Emily's! How can I-" Aria stopped short when she caught site of their visitor. Dropping the rag she was using to clean up with, she immediately rushed into the arms of her best friend. "Hanna! What are you doing here?!"

Unable to stop the flow of tears from her eyes, Hanna sniffled once before pulling away and taking in everything about Aria. She looked different, happy even. There was a soft tan to her previously alabaster skin, her posture was sure and certain, and there was a radiance about her that Hanna hadn't seen in years. "The better question is, what are _you _doing here, Aria? Do you know how worried I've been about you? Caleb and I have torn apart every town west of Rosewood looking for you for _weeks_ now!"

Aria nervously looked around; she didn't need any of the local patrons over hearing about her past. Luckily, Emily had retreated to the back to give them privacy and there were no other customers within the small shop. She pulled Hanna over to sit down with her on one of the many couches lining the walls of the café.

"I'm sorry, Han. You know that I would have told you where I was going if I could. I couldn't take the chance, though, that Jake would hurt you or Caleb to get to me. How did you find me, by the way?"

Sighing, Hanna shifted her purse from her shoulder to lie on the floor at her feet before responding. "Caleb tracked the bus you hoped on out of Rosewood and we've been stopping in every town along its path, questioning everyone we meet. Honestly, I wasn't even going to get off here, this place looks like a deserted ghost town. But Caleb insisted. He's across the street talking to the people at the police department."

"I'm glad you found me, Hanna," Aria told her softly, flashing her a small smile before pulling her friend in for another hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Aria," Hanna replied. Pulling away, she looked around quickly before lowering her voice. "Listen, Jake's been searching high and low for you as well, Ar. He's even got Detective Wilden looking. And I don't think he's far behind us in tracking you down."

Aria's heart seemed to stop at Hanna's words. She broke out in a cold sweat and stuttered in her response. "I- I gotta get outta here then. He can't find me. I can't go back to that life." She thought, suddenly, of Ezra. Of the farm and Chester and all the friends she'd made here. How could she just abandon them to start over somewhere new all over again?

"Maybe you don't have to go, Aria. Just lay low for a while. Keep outta sight, wherever you've been staying, while Caleb and I head back to Rosewood to throw him off your trail. I'll say I caught sight of you somewhere down south or something," Hanna offered.

Thinking it over, Aria hesitantly nodded her head. "I can do that. Thank you, Hanna."

"When do you think you'll be coming back, though, Aria? How long can you keep running?"

Aria sighed before replying. "Hanna… it'd be best if I probably didn't come back. I love you, more than you know, but…"

Hanna's hand covered her's, stopping her explanation. "I hope you're finally happy out here, Aria. You deserve that. I… I promise that we'll do our best to deter Jake."


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

_**ARIA**_

If she had learned anything while living with Jake it was how to go unseen and if she must admit it, she thought she did it rather well. Aria felt close enough with both Spencer and Emily that she explained the situation to both of them, requesting that they not mention they knew her should Jake come through Winesburg. Emily told her to take as much time off as she needed to straighten the mess out. Aria just wasn't sure how she was to do that, exactly, aside from hiding. So that's all she did. She stayed close to the farm, helped Ezra to tend to the smaller crops and aided with almost all of the housework.

"Hey, Aria, have you seen my baseball cap?" Ezra asked as he came into the laundry room where she was currently folding clothes. Smiling, Aria turned and plucked the hat from the clean clothes pile and handed it to him. "Thank you much," Ezra told her with a smile as he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and turned to head outside.

One of the better things to come out of spending so much time at the house was that her and Ezra's relationship seemed to be flourishing. He was slowly letting her in, telling her stories from his childhood and asking for help when he needed it. They hadn't yet discussed where they were with their relationship but Aria was just grateful he hadn't run again, so she would wait for him to bring it up.

Lifting the laundry basket with fresh clothes into her arms, she made her way out towards the stairs leading up stairs. A loud clash suddenly caused her to drop the basket halfway up the staircase. She turned to peer out the large bay window in the living room as she picked up the clothes. Dark storm clouds were rolling in and strong winds were billowing the trees out front. She decided instead to drop off the clothes in the guest house before it started to rain and headed out the back door.

Ezra was helping Wren to unload a truck load of produce from the fields when she made her way out back. "Wren! Grab hold of the other side of the tarp… dammit!" Ezra shouted as a large gust of wind snatched one end of the tarp he was using to cover the vegetables. Aria laughed as Ezra almost lost his hat to the gust, using one hand to hold the tarp, the other to hold his hat in place. Hearing her giggle, Wren stuck his tongue out at her teasingly.

"Come on! I don't want to be caught in the rain!" The moment the words left Ezra's mouth, the skies opened up. Aria squealed as she shot towards the guest house. Once inside she used one of the freshly washed towels to wipe the water from her face and then proceeded to put away her laundry. No sooner had she opened the first drawer, the lights cut out. Though it was early evening in the late spring, it was dark enough that Aria struggled to see what she was doing.

"Awesome," she sighed. She turned and dropped the basket onto her bed before deciding to make a run for it to the main house. Ezra was standing in the kitchen, dripping wet, and knocking his shoulder playfully against Wren's when she entered.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes, even wet," Wren told her with a wink. Aria just laughed as Ezra rolled his eyes at his comment. Wren was just being Wren.

"Hey, Ezra? The electricity cut out in the guest house," Aria told him as she accepted the towel he handed her.

Ezra let out a sigh and sank down into one of the kitchen chairs. "This storm must have cut the power. I have the main house hooked up to an emergency generator so we should be good for a while. You can just stay in here tonight."

"Slumber party!" Wren called out.

"Yeah, you're going home," Ezra shot back with a smile. Wren let out a fake puff of angry air before waving farewell and running off into the storm. "I don't know how I put up with him," Ezra laughed. Aria chuckled before turning towards the fridge to start their dinner.

_**EZRA**_

"Ok, so we have 'Singing in the Rain'," Ezra read with a smirk, "or 'Casablanca.' Sorry the selection is so slim, most of the DVDs are actually in the closet out in the guest house. So unless you'd like to make a run for it…"

Aria let out a small laugh as she interrupted him. "'Singing in the Rain', please." After dinner they had retired to the living room to watch a movie and Ezra was pleased to find out that Aria harbored a hidden love for old black and white films, one of his favorite forms of entertainment.

Popping the DVD into the player, Ezra made his way over to the couch and wasted no time in pulling Aria to his side, wrapping an arm across her shoulders. He had become more courageous, more willing to take chances with her since their break through. Aria snuggled further into his side as the movie began and released a soft sigh. He pressed a soft kiss to her hair, struggling to keep his focus on the film.

"Chester!" Aria yelled out with a laugh. The dog has chosen that moment to join the pair on the couch, jumping onto Aria's legs and making himself comfortable at her feet. Ezra, smiling as he reached over to scratch his head, laced his fingers with hers as they relaxed, bathed in the soft glow from the television.

"You know, I always wanted a dog…" Aria trailed off. "Well, my brother, Mike, wanted one more than I did but the desire was still there," she giggled.

"Oh, yeah?" Ezra asked with a smile mirroring her own. An idea suddenly popped into his head. He turned towards the TV, lowering the volume, before turning fully towards Aria so he could see her face. She looked at him in confusion. "Let's play a game."

"A game?" She asked incredulously.

Nodding his head enthusiastically, Ezra continued. "I want to get to know more about you, Aria. I want to learn about your family, friends, first kiss, boyfriends… everything. So let's play 20 questions. Come on, please." Giving her his best pout, Aria couldn't help but to nod as she giggled in response.

"Ok, I'll start… favorite color?"

Giggling even more, Aria raised her eyebrows in surprise. "20 questions and you start with my favorite color?"

"I want to know everything," Ezra replied with a blush, averting his eyes.

Resting her hand upon his cheek, Aria smiled as she leaned over to press a light kiss to his lips. "Blue," she whispered. "You?"

"Red," Ezra replied with a smile. "Favorite food?" The movie went forgotten as the two lost themselves in each other, each attempting to learn everything possible about the other person. 20 questions turned to 30, upon which they stopped counting. Before they knew it, Ezra's wind up clock hanging in the hallway leading towards the front door was chiming out, indicating the late hours they were burning. Aria released a loud yawn before pushing the blanket covering them off.

"I think I'll turn in for the night," she said, turning towards Ezra. He nodded his head before turning off the television and following her up the stairs. Stopping in the door of the guest room, he watched as Aria nervously pushed her hair behind one ear and shifted her weight between her feet. "Good night, Ezra," she whispered.

"Night," he softly replied, leaning in to give her a short kiss before turning towards his own room. As much as he wanted to stay and share a bed with her, he knew that it was too early in their fragile relationship to be testing such boundaries. Shaking his head, he climbed into bed and was quickly asleep.

Hours later, Ezra was awoken by a cry of alarm resonating from the direction of the guest room. Quickly jumping out of bed, he didn't bother throwing on a shirt or even pants over his boxers before running towards Aria's room. What if Jake had found her? Was she hurt? A million questions ran through his mind in that short period of time it took him to cross down the hallway and throw open the door.

He released a huge sigh of relief when he reached the room. Aria, tangled in bed sheets and glistening with a thin film of sweat, was tossing and turning in the bed. It was obvious that she was having a nightmare of sorts. Ezra crossed the room and quietly sat on the edge of the mattress, reaching a hand over to gently stroke her arm.

"Aria? Aria, Honey, wake up," Ezra called. She sat up with a jolt, fear shining bright in her eyes as she took in her surroundings.

Running a hand through her messy hair, Aria gave him a small smile before hugging the blankets closer to her body. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry, Ezra, I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok, Aria. You were having a nightmare. Do you have them often?" He asked with worry. Knowing now of her past and the horrible marriage that she had endured, he wouldn't be surprised if she often was having night terrors.

Nodding her head in embarrassment, she avoided meeting his concerned gaze, instead leaning back into the pillows and staring off at the ceiling. "I have them almost every night," she whispered. "Jake… he was so horrible. I... I'll be alright, though."

"Are you sure? I can stay… if you want," Ezra asked quietly. He didn't want to push her if she wasn't ready for that kind of connection, but he desperately wanted to be there for her and if he left he knew he'd only toss and turn himself for the rest of the night.

She nervously looked up at him and bit her lip as she thought over his offer. "Please stay," she replied with a whisper. Ezra only smiled as he pulled her to him and covered them both with the blanket. They both slept soundly for the first time in a long while that night.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

_**ARIA**_

"Ezra are you ready to go?" Aria yelled up the stairs. Being cooped up in the house for weeks now, Ezra had decided to take Aria out on an adventure, as he liked to call it. What that entailed, she wasn't quite sure but she was eagerly optimistic. He had packed them a picnic lunch, complete with sandwiches, desert and lemonade. In all honesty, however, she was just excited to spend time with him, alone, in the middle of the day for once.

"Coming!" Ezra shouted. She didn't hear his feet moving, however, so she actually doubted he was making his way downstairs. Rolling her eyes she let out an exasperated sigh. She swore he took longer to get ready than even Hanna. How many plaid shirts did he have to choose from anyway?

Just as Aria was getting ready to climb the stairs in search of him, the doorbell rang. Confused, she turned to answer it. Who would be calling on them midafternoon during the middle of the week? Opening the front door, Aria was met with the sight of an older woman, perhaps in her late fifties or so, sporting perfectly manicured nails, styled hair and designer clothes. She screamed of money.

"And who are you?" The woman asked snidely before Aria had a chance to greet her. Taken aback by her brash question, she was stunned into silence. The pounding of feet behind her alerted Aria to Ezra's presence but she made no move to turn around, instead keeping her gaze locked on the woman in front of her.

Ezra came to an abrupt halt at the foot of the stairs and Aria heard him suddenly suck in his breath as he caught sight of their visitor. "What are you doing here?" he ground out between clenched teeth.

"Well hello to you too, Ezra. Are you going to invite me in or are we going to make a spectacle of this situation for the entire neighborhood to be witness to?" Aria shrunk back at the venomous tone resonating from the woman, attempting to blend invisibly into Ezra's side, begging unabashedly for his protection. He knowingly wrapped an arm around her waist and guided them to the side, allowing the woman to enter.

"Thank you," she told him, staring hard at Aria as she entered the house. "Are you going to introduce us?"

Sighing, Ezra pushed close the front door and turned to address her. "Mother, this is Aria. Aria, this is… my mother." He made no other attempt to further the conversation and Aria watched as his mother let out a dramatic sigh of exhaustion before straightening herself and fully turning towards her, offering her hand. Aria tentatively reached out and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Fitz," Aria told her kindly. Her warm welcome seemed to thaw his mother slightly as she smiled and gave Aria a cursory once over.

"It's a pleasure, Dear. And it's Fitzgerald, Ezra here loves to truncate our last name for some reason unbeknownst to me." Now it was Aria's turn to be shocked. His mother radiated wealth and now she was learning that Ezra's last name was one of great American nobility? What kind of past did he have, exactly?

"As much as I'm enjoying this visit, I'd really like to know why you're here," Ezra snapped. He had lost all patience for this woman _years_ ago.

His mother shot him a cold stare as she replied. "I'm here, Ezra, because you have decided to stop returning any of my calls, emails, or other attempts at communication. You are the only family that I have left and I will not stand to let you fade away into this rustic, poor man's country."

Aria could almost see the fumes streaming from Ezra's ears as he struggled to contain his anger. His arm wrapped even tighter around her waist. "We are far from living in poor man's country, Mother, and even if we were, that life would be a thousand times better without you in it. You've officially seen me. Now please-" He flung open the door, standing aside to usher his mother out of his home.

Sighing, she shook her head before making to leave. "At least I tried to reach out to you. And I did come for another reason, Ezra." Pausing, she took a moment before continuing. "I just want to see him before I go."

Ezra sharply sucked in his breath as he stared out the door, ignoring his mother's presence for a minute before responding. "You know where he is." She nodded her head before passing by him.

Turning one last time towards Aria, she flashed her a soft smile before leaving. "It really was nice to meet you, Aria. Take care of him." With that, Ezra's mother was gone.

All was silent for a time as Ezra and Aria struggled to absorb the impact of the random visit they had just received. Aria was beyond confused at the sudden presence of his mother, but she was even more confused by the short conversation. Aside from Ezra, who did she want to see? Ezra released a large sigh before grabbing his hat and Aria's hand, leading them out the door and towards his truck. He made no attempt at offering any kind of explanation for what had just happened and Aria didn't want to push him for answers. Climbing into the truck, they spent the next fifteen or so minutes in amicable silence, riding along back country roads and simply attempting to calm down from their crazy encounter.

When Ezra pulled off the road, Aria was surprised to find him heading towards a lake of some kind. It was set back half a mile or so from the dirt drive, with no road officially leading to it, but Aria could see the well-worn tracks from previous vehicles etched into the ground as Ezra drove. Parking the truck a few feet from the water, Ezra wasted no time in unloading their picnic and beckoning Aria to join him.

"I'm sorry you had to meet my mother like that," Ezra told her as he avoided her gaze and instead focused on unpacking their food. She reached over and squeezed his thigh, offering a small smile in response. "I know we promised that we'd be completely open with each other, but there's a lot of stuff about me that you don't know," Ezra whispered, staring out at the sparkling water after unloading the rest of their picnic. He made no move to start eating, however, instead picking a rock up and tossing it towards the lake. It skipped twice before sinking out of view.

"You don't have to share anything you're not comfortable with," Aria said softly.

Ezra turned to offer her a weak smile before responding. "You make me feel comfortable sharing just about everything, Aria. And… you deserve to know how _I _ended up in Winesburg." He again turned his gaze towards the water before continuing with his story. "Growing up, my mother was always more concerned with her image than with my well-being. She fell in love with my father at a young age, they got married and had me, all within the span of a few years. My dad was attending NYU as a graduate student at the time and my mother knew nothing about the life he had come from back here in Winesburg. I doubt she would have married him had she known. She'd never associate herself willingly with people so below her social class."

Ezra released a scoff at the thought of his mother having such high standards. "My grandfather suddenly fell ill when I was about two and my dad chose to come back to support his mother. My mom refused to move out here and they filed for an official separation. He fought hard to take me with him but my mother would have none of it, somehow using her money to gain full custody of me, and I lived with her until I was thirteen. She was unbelievably neglectful, never attending any sort of school function or offering her support for me in anyway, so I didn't think twice when I boarded the first bus out of New York. I had tracked my father down and I came out here to live with him."

Aria was silent as she listened to his story. Offering a small smile, she laced their fingers together in a sign of support as she pressed her body to his side and laid her head on his shoulder. "I guess that's where we're twins, then. The whole bus thing, I mean."

Ezra let out a soft chuckle in reply. "Yeah, I guess we are." He took in a deep breath before continuing. "My father… he broke me out of this shell that I had used to protect myself from my mother's uncaring attitude towards me. He loved me and really attempted to show me that every day. It's because of him that I've become the man I am today. When I was… when I was nineteen, I was out at a party across town. I didn't go out much, so he had insisted I go when he caught word of the gathering. I'd only been at the party an hour or so when Toby came running in. I could immediately tell that something- something was wrong because he was covered in dirt and sweat and there was this look of absolute fear in his eyes that I'd never seen before. He had been helping my father in the barn when a stack of hay had caught fire."

Aria suddenly seemed to stop breathing as she listened to Ezra. She tightened her grip on his hand and turned so that she could fully see him.

"The barn was engulfed in flames and the fire department and ambulance were there by the time I got home. My dad… he didn't make it. I've been left caring for this farm ever since," Ezra whispered, looking down at his feet. A tear trickled down his cheek but he harshly wiped it away. "That's why my mother's here, I guess. She comes out every so often to visit his grave. I think she feels guilty over leaving the both of us but she would never admit to that, of course. Anyways, I've avoided really any kind of social situation since then because I'm tired of the pity that I always get from anyone that knows my story. That's why I took so easily so with you, Aria. You didn't look at me like I was some kind of puppy that has just been kicked because you didn't know."

Aria smiled at him as she smoothed the hair off of his forehead. "I promise to never look at you like that, Ezra. You're the strongest man I've ever known and I will _always_ treat you like that."

"Thank you," he whispered, flashing her his own smile. He softly pressed his lips to hers after a few moments and they spent the rest of the afternoon trying to forget all about their issues waiting for them back home.

**What do y'all think? Has Ezra had enough reason to act the way he has with Aria? Let me know your thoughts!**


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

_**EZRA**_

Before he realized it, summer was upon them and his crazy life as a farmer just got crazier as he worked from sunup to sundown every day harvesting his crops. It was late June and he currently sat quietly on the steps leading up to the back deck, taking in the dew covered grass, early morning sun and the overall soft serenity that seemed to envelop the farm. This is what he loved best about the country. There was no constant noise from cars, people, or businesses. A man could think out here, he could enjoy the simple things in life, the peacefulness of it all, and not have to constantly worry about the bolstering urban scene around him.

He turned his gaze towards the guest house where Aria currently dwelt. She had been an unexpected surprise in his life, a good surprise, but an unexpected one none the less. He smiled softly to himself as he thought about her kind, caring attitude towards him. She had come from a life filled with as much adversity as his own, yet she was somehow able to overlook her troubles to offer him support. He realized that he was falling for her and he was falling hard.

The sound of crunching of gravel underneath tires brought Ezra's attention back to the present. He knit his brows in confusion as he watched Wren pull up and park his truck a few feet away. It was Saturday, and he had told Wren to take the day off after he had told him about a friend's birthday party he was attending Friday night. He didn't move from his seat on the steps as he watched his farmhand gently push his truck door closed and turn towards him with a nervous smile upon his face.

"Hey there, Buddy," Wren greeted as he approached. "It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?"

Ezra nodded in response, a confused expression still covering his face. "How was your party last night? I thought I said you could take the day off?"

"About that…" Wren trailed off, nervously shoving his hands into his pockets as he leaned against the deck next to where Ezra sat. He coughed once or twice and averted his eyes before continuing. "The lot of us got pretty blitzed down at Culligan's, that bar over in Streetsboro?" Ezra again nodded, indicating he knew the place so Wren continued. "Anyway, a couple of guys came back to my place after and I guess we got out of control, broke a window and we may or may not have caught the stove on fire…"

"Unbelievable," Ezra chuckled. He shook his head as he pictured the scene, it was a very believable story coming from Wren. "I'd think that after a night like that, you definitely wouldn't be showing up today," he laughed.

Wren smiled at him before collapsing on the step next to Ezra. He rested his head behind him on the deck and closed his eyes as he let out a groan. "Trust me, I had no plans of coming in today. My landlord, on the other hand, had other thoughts. I woke up about an hour ago to him pounding like a mad man on my front door. When I answered he took one look around the place before telling me to pack my things and get out. So here I am."

Ezra glanced towards Wren's truck and took notice for the first time of the luggage, random furniture, and boxes crammed into the bed. Sighing, he turned his attention back to his friend. "So what are you going to do? Have you found a place yet?"

Wren shook his head before sitting up and nervously running his hand through the hair at the nape of his neck. "I was kinda hoping you might be able to help me out… not permanently, of course, just until I find another place to live. I know you have those extra rooms upstairs, or even the guest home if Aria wanted to move into the main house… I dunno, but I'll pay you, I swear. And I'll be up extra early to work, I'll do maintenance on all the farm equipment, I'll-"

"Wren, it's fine. You can stay here. You'll have to ask Aria though about the room situation, she gets first choice," Ezra said, cutting him off.

Wren nodded furiously in response. "Of course. I'll ask her as soon as she gets up."

"Ask me what?" Ezra turned his gaze in the direction of the voice and caught sight of Aria shuffling towards them, Chester happily trotting along at her feet. His dog had long ago abandoned Ezra for her, choosing most nights to sleep in the guest house even. Smiling, Ezra tugged at her arm, pulling her to sit between his legs on the step below him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead in greeting.

Rolling his eyes at the sappy moment between the two, Wren turned towards Aria. "I kinda got kicked out of my apartment today and Ezra's been nice enough to offer me a place to stay. I can use one of the spare bedrooms upstairs or if you wanted to move into the main house…"

Aria was silent for a moment before she turned towards Ezra. "Would you be ok with that? With me moving in with you here?"

Ezra smiled as he grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently before responding. "I'd much rather have _you_ as a roommate than Wren. But it's up to you."

Aria smiled widely in response, leaning up press a quick kiss to his lips. "Ok, you can have the guest house, Wren. I spend most of my time over here, anyway, really just sleeping over there. You have to help me move my things, though."

Wren excitedly thrust his hand up in a mock fist pump before groaning and dropping his head into his hands. "I am _never_ drinking Jager again."

_**JAKE**_

"I'm telling you, she didn't head south! You're wasting your time, I don't care what that bitch told you!" Jake shouted in aggravation, slamming his fists onto the top of Wilden's desk. "If you're not going to take this seriously, then I'll have to do this on my own!" Spinning on his heels, he strode towards the exit.

"Jake, wait!" Jumping to his feet, Wilden ran after him, catching his arm just before he made to leave the station. "I know you think we're wasting our time looking south, and I agree, but I did that on purpose. Look." Pulling a handful of papers from the top of his desk, Wilden thrust a crumpled up map printed off of the internet towards Jake. There was a trail, highlighted in red, that caught his attention.

"What am I looking at?" Jake snapped. Wilden rolled his eyes, his friend had never been one of the smartest guys he knew.

"I've tracked the path of the bus that I'm _positive_ Aria left on that night. It goes right through southern Ohio and on into Indiana. I didn't tell you this before because I wasn't sure. I'm sure now. I've taken a drive a good way along this path and talked to workers at a few of the stops that are sure they saw her."

Jake smiled widely in response, folding the paper before shoving it into his pocket. "So that's where you were last weekend… Any idea of where she may have gotten off at, though?"

Wilden shrugged before leaning back against the desk and crossing his feet in front of him. "I made it as far as Coshocton before losing the trail. That leaves a total of three stops that day: one in Steubenville, another in New Philadelphia, and the last in some town between the two called Winesburg. Place looked like a ghost town, but you never know."

"Good job, Darren." Jake bumped his fist exuberantly against Wilden's shoulder, perhaps a little too roughly as the officer winced in reply. Turning, he headed towards the door before pausing and shooting a smirk back towards his friend. "I think it's time for me to go find my wife."

**Apologies for the long hiatus, the last week of classes and exam week came, bringing along with them a lot of papers, tests, and presentations. I hope I didn't lose any of this story's readers. Those of you who have followed me faithfully know that I try to update daily. I hope to be back to doing that now and that you all continue to follow along. Thanks for reading and as always, please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

_**JAKE**_

Wearily running a hand over his face he peered at the glow from the clock on his dashboard. 7:45 PM. He had made excellent time. After talking with Wilden and going over the map about a hundred more times, he was fully convinced that Aria would have gotten off in Winesburg. He knew how much his wife hated spending prolonged periods of time in the city and Rosewood was at the upper limits of her tolerance for large groups of people. Though Darren had described the place as a deserted ghost town, Jake was sure that was where Aria was hiding.

Though he had begged him to not go looking for her alone, Jake had started driving a couple days after his talk with Wilden, escaping out onto the open roads when Darren had been unexpectedly called away for a homicide case two towns over. Jake was sure he'd be back before he even noticed. He needed to do this on his own. This was his wife, his problem, and he would fix this.

Glancing again towards the clock he saw it was now 7:52 PM. Two more hours to go.

_**ARIA**_

"Chester! Down!" Aria giggled, pushing the lab away from her face as she struggled to calm him down. Ezra let out a hearty laugh from the driver's seat, reaching over to grab her hand and interlace their fingers. "Are you excited?" Aria asked, turning her attention away from the dog on the backseat.

Ezra shrugged, never breaking his gaze from the road ahead as he drove. "I'm… apprehensive? Yeah, I guess that's the word."

Aria knit her brows in confusion. "Why would you be apprehensive about a party? It _is_ your birthday, Ezra! This is exciting!"

Ezra brought her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles before flashing her a quick smile. "You're right. I'm excited for this party."

Aria smiled and rolled her eyes at his fake enthusiasm. She turned her gaze out the window, taking in the acres and acres of farmland as they rolled by. It was July 16th and, unbeknownst to her until a couple of hours ago, it was also Ezra's 26th birthday. She had slowly resumed her daily shifts at Emily's, working during the morning and afternoon, when nobody but the locals came into the café. That was where she had been when Spencer had barged in, a large smile on her face and an enthusiasm about her that only a pregnant woman could have. She and Toby had convinced Hardy to throw a bonfire party for Ezra's birthday and Aria had to make sure he actually came this year. Apparently, he had the tendency to not even show up at large outings.

When Ezra pulled into Hardy's drive a few short moments later, Aria could see the blaze from the fire out behind the house and she could hear the laughter resonating from the small group that had gathered. Ezra parked the truck and quickly jumped out, opening her door and holding a hand out to help her out before she could protest. A small blush covered her cheeks as she accepted his help, she wasn't use to such treatment. As they made their way around Hardy's house, Ezra refused to let go of her hand, instead gripping it tighter as they got closer to the party.

"There he is! The birthday boy finally showed up!" Toby called when he caught sight of them. Everyone turned and let out a chorus of happy birthdays and other similar greetings. Looking around, Aria recognized most everyone there, picking out Toby, Spencer, Wren, and Emily. There was another guy, probably around their age, that she didn't recognize but he quickly came over to introduce himself.

"Hi, there! I'm Hardy, Ezra's better half!" he joked, jovially shoving his shoulder into Ezra, causing him to chuckle in response and roll his eyes.

"Aria. It's nice to finally meet you, Hardy," she replied, laughing as she watched their interaction. It was nice seeing Ezra with his friends. He acted more carefree, accepting the beer Hardy handed him without question.

"Well, Aria, we've got hotdogs, we've got smores, we've got beer… it's bound to be a fun night! Find a seat and join the party!" Hardy told her, opening his arms wide to graciously invite them to the party. She laughed and after pressing a short kiss to Ezra's cheek, made her way to an open seat between Spencer and Emily.

The night wore on and Aria found herself greatly enjoying the company of the few people gathered around the fire. She hadn't had many friends other than Hanna back in Rosewood but here in Winesburg, she found she could relate easily and make friends with almost everyone. No one was quick to judge and she was free to live her life any way she felt. Glancing at the time on her cell phone, she saw that it was already 10 PM.

"'Cause I got friends in low places, where the whisky drowns and the beer a chases my blues away! I'll be okay!" Ezra was practically belting the chorus to the song at the top of his lungs in time to Hardy's guitar and Wren's off tune harmony. She giggled as he almost tipped over sideways in his chair. This was the most drunk she had ever seen him but she was happy to see him enjoying himself.

Nudging her shoulder, Spencer pointed towards Toby, who had passed out in his chair a couple feet away. "Looks like someone's going to be sleeping out here with the 'coons tonight," she laughed.

"I can help you get him inside, Spenc-"

"Oh, no. Trust me, when one passes out by a fire in Winesburg, you're left to make friends with the critters for the night," Spencer giggled. Glancing towards Toby once again, Aria couldn't help but laugh at the ease to which his wife was abandoning him. "Don't worry, Aria," Spencer added, catching her line of sight. "Hardy's already offered us a room for the night, he'll be fine."

"I say let him snuggle with a 'coon!" Ezra shouted, turning to lean heavily against Aria's right side. Emily had long since gone home, and Ezra had taken her chair next to Aria. Laughing, Aria reached over to ruffle his hair and wrap her arm around his waist as he laid his head on her shoulder. Spencer smiled brightly at the site and Aria could tell that she was just as happy to see Ezra so carefree as she was.

Sighing, Aria made to stand and rolled her eyes at Ezra's groan. "I think it's time for us to get going. If we stay any longer, Ezra will be joining Toby with the critters. Come on." She pulled Ezra to his feet and slowly made her way towards his truck, waving goodbye to Spencer as they pulled out.

Arriving back at the house, she had to wake Ezra up to get him inside and up to his bed. He collapsed the second he touched the mattress and appeared content to sleep in his clothes. Aria sighed before untying his shoes and pushing him until he rolled over, fully on the bed.

"Happy birthday, Ezra," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. Before she could leave, however, Ezra reached out to grab ahold of her arm. She let out a shocked gasp in response, she had thought he had passed out.

"Stay, please," he whispered. He slowly opened his eyes so that he could see her and let out a pout. "Pretty please."

Giggling, she shook her head. He would be regretting all of the alcohol he drank come morning. She kicked off her own shoes before climbing in next to him and Ezra wasted no time in curling around her, quickly passing out.

_**JAKE**_

He sat fuming in his car, unable to see anything but red around him as he took in what he had just seen. It had taken him a bit longer than he had though to get to Winesburg. Arriving in the small town, however, he drove for a while before catching glimpse of a fire out on the out skirts of town. He pulled off to the side of the road and took in the cars and laughter he could hear coming from the party. He was debating going over there and inquiring about Aria but he hadn't sat there long before he saw his wife helping some man into a truck. She had climbed in after him and drove off, so he followed them.

He followed them all the way to a farm a mile or so away and watched again as she helped the guy inside the house. She hadn't come back out, though.

So this is who she had left him for. This was where she was shacking up.

Jake angrily punched the center consol, ripping the delicate skin covering his knuckles on the dial to the radio. He couldn't believe Aria was shaking up with some _redneck_. He watched as the blood dripped down his hand and dripped unceremoniously onto his jeans.

Huffing, he let out an aggravated sigh before starting his car once again. He would go and find a place for the night. But rest assured, he would be back for his wife come morning… when that man was nowhere to be seen.

**Thank you all for your kind reviews last chapter! It's awesome to know that people around the globe actually care about you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are ready for the big encounter! Let me know your thoughts!**


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

_**JAKE**_

He let out a small groan as he rotated his head, attempting to loosen the knots that had formed in his neck from sleeping in his car all night. After following Aria home, he drove a few miles away and found a truck stop where he parked for the night. As soon as the sun had risen, however, he made his way back, parking at the end of the drive, off to the side and behind a few trees. He was sure that the driveway was long enough that he would go unnoticed.

Jake was beyond furious about this situation. He had thought that he might calm down overnight, enough to calmly go in, collect his wife and return back to Rosewood. That wasn't the case. She had lied to him, abandoning their marriage so that she could cheat on him with some farmer. That infuriated him to the point that he struggled to calm his raging heart.

The man Aria had helped inside the night before was stepping out of the house and walking towards the back fields not long after he had parked.

Perfect.

_**ARIA**_

When she woke up the next morning she was disappointed to find that Ezra was no longer beside her. It was Saturday, though, so he was probably checking the property as he claimed to do every Saturday morning. She was impressed. She probably wouldn't be able to move out of bed all day if she had drank half of the alcohol he'd consumed the night before. She smiled as she thought of how close they had become. Ezra was helping her to forget all about her rough life back in Rosewood, whether he realized it or not. She was falling in love with him and she honestly couldn't imagine living anywhere other than right here, on this farm. Sitting up, she ran a hand through her hair and decided that she definitely needed a shower and coffee.

When she made her way outside a short hour later, Ezra was still nowhere to be found. Neither was Chester. Was he having issues in the fields? Perhaps he was out there throwing up the remnants of last night's party. Aria giggled at the thought, though she hoped it wasn't true. She also noticed that Wren must have passed out at Hardy's since his truck was not in its normal spot. She headed towards the fields herself, determined to find Ezra. The tractor was still in the barn so he couldn't have gone far. A flash of movement to her right caught her attention and before she could react, a hand was forcefully covering her mouth while at the same time she was being pulled up against someone.

"Miss me?" A male harshly whispered from behind her. Her eyes widened in shock as she recognized her husband's voice. He spun her around, roughly pushing her up against the side of the barn and pinning her there with an arm under her chin.

"Jake… what- what are you doing here?" Aria stuttered. The fear was clear in her eyes and she held her breath as she took in the fury etched across his face. He was unshaven, his harm unkempt and it looked as if he hadn't showered in days. Jake's clothes were even wrinkled, as if he had slept in them.

"The better question is, what are _you _doing here? Huh? You think I'm going to let my wife just disappear? I've been looking for you for months now, Aria. Months!" Jake hissed. "So how has it been, living out here in the sticks?" He asked sarcastically.

Aria swallowed hard, avoiding making direct eye contact. "I just needed a breather, Jake. Our relationship was becoming… suffocating. I was worried for how I was treating you and I wanted to clear my head in order to fix things. I never meant to hurt you, please, believe me," Aria lied. She desperately wanted to diffuse the situation.

"Oh, I don't need to believe you, Aria. When I wake up and my wife has disappeared, even taken some of my money, there's nothing else for me to do other than to find her." Catching Aria's shocked glance, Jake smirked. "Didn't think I'd notice the money thing did you? Well I'm a lot more observant than most people give me credit for. Your friend did a good job at diverting my attention for a while, throwing me off your trail. But I caught on and here you are. I'm not going to let you out of my sight ever again." He pushed down harder upon her throat, coming to stand closer so that there was hardly any distance between them.

"Jake, please…" Aria choked out. She glanced around nervously, praying that either Ezra or Wren would show up soon. Hell, she'd even be happy to see Chester. Nobody was coming to her rescue, though, and she was starting to panic.

"Please what? Let you stay out here and play house with Old McDonald? Not gonna happen. You're _my _wife and your place is with me back in Rosewood. You'll come back and pick up your duties as my spouse, and you won't argue with me about this… at all. It's time for you to come home but don't worry, I'll make sure you _never_ forget about this vacation." All was silent for a few minutes and Aria swore her heart was beating so hard it was going to pop out of her chest at any moment.

The sound of a tree branch dropping pulled Jake's attention away from Aria for a moment and without thinking, she brought her knee up, connecting it with his groin. He let out a loud groan, dropping his arm and hunching over. She used the opportunity to start running. She rushed towards the house, hoping to get inside, lock the door and call the police. The sound of pounding feet behind her, however, told her that Jake had recovered from her assault and was closing in fast. Crossing the threshold into the kitchen, she turned to slam the door close but was roughly pushed to the ground and pinned there by her husband. Their loud breathing and the sound of her pounding heart was all she heard for a moment as Jake struggled to catch his breath. Reaching behind him into the hem of his pants he pulled out a small handgun. Aria felt her heart stop as her breath caught in her throat.

"I see we're going to have to do this the hard way, _Honey_. Now get up, collect your things and let's go. Don't make me do something I'll regret," Jake spit out through his tightly grit teeth. "Now."

Jake moved slightly to allow Aria up, keeping the gun pointed at her. Her life there in Winesburg flashed through her mind and she thought of the farm, of her friends… of Ezra. She couldn't leave this behind. She couldn't go back to her old life in Rosewood, back to her abusive husband. Without a second thought, she jolted towards Jake, dislodging the handgun and watching as it skittered across the hardwood floor. They both lunged towards it and Jake wrestled with her in an attempt to grab the gun. He was able to pull the gun closer to them, within range enough for Aria to have an attempt to reach out for it and she grabbed for it herself at the same time he did.

The sound of a gunshot rang through the air.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

_**EZRA**_

"Come on, Boy," Ezra called. He was making his way back from the far end of the property, grateful for the fresh air and Saturday routine as it seemed to be helping his unbelievable hangover. He smiled as he thought about the festivities he had partaken in last night. It was the first time in a while that he'd actually let loose and had some fun. He smiled even larger as he thought about waking up this morning, Aria curled into his side, deep asleep. He wouldn't mind waking up like that every morning for the rest of his life.

The calm serenity of the morning was broken when a loud shot sounded through the air.

"Aria!" Ezra shouted, breaking out into a full out sprint towards the house. His heart was the only thing he heard as it hammered in his ears. The rush of adrenaline through his veins powered him to run even faster and Chester was no match for his long strides, lagging behind him in a dead out run. What was happening? Was Aria hurt? A thousand questions flew through his mind in the time in took him to reach the house.

He wasted no time in hurdling up the back deck stairs and he was shocked to see the back door wide open. Barreling into the kitchen he was met with a shocking scene.

Kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down her face, Aria was holding a small handgun. A man Ezra didn't recognize was laying completely still a foot or two away from her, blood soaking through the dirty tshirt he had on. Aria raised her head to meet Ezra's gaze and let out a loud sob as the gravity of the situation hit her. He quickly fell to his knees in front of her and reached out to take the gun from her, pushing it up onto the kitchen table before crushing her to him and pressing a series of kisses to her hair.

"Hey, come on. It's ok," Ezra whispered. He continued whispering soothing nothings into her ear until she calmed down enough to pull away slightly in order to see him.

Gripping his face between both of her hands, she took a deep breath before leaning her forehead against his. "I love you."

Ezra's breath hitched at her quiet statement. He passionately pressed his lips to hers before responding. "I love you too, Aria, so _so_ much."

_**ARIA**_

She wasn't sure how she was able to make it through the rest of the day. After Ezra had showed up they called the police and were taken into the station for questioning. It was clear that Jake's death had been the result of self-defense so other than a few court hearings later down the road, she should be alright legally. She didn't feel alright though. It felt like her whole world had come crashing down around her and she was left feeling broken and confused. Ezra could see her anxiety and hadn't left her side throughout the entire day, holding her hand and rubbing her back in a show of his support. She loved him, she really did and she was happy that she'd finally told him, albeit the horrible situation.

As much as she had hated Jake, she couldn't help but to feel absolutely horrible about the shooting. They had been married for almost five years, dating for about just as long. He was a huge part of almost half of her life. Now that he was gone, and because of her, she… she found it hard to breath during certain moments. She kept breaking out into full blown sobs randomly while at the police station and the officers couldn't help but to look at her with pity. Ezra never did though. He would simply pull her tighter to him and let her cry into his shirt.

Now they were finally home again. She avoided going into the kitchen, instead heading straight to the couch to collapse. The body had been removed and all the evidence of the altercation had been cleaned up but she knew she'd never be able to look at the spot where she had killed him without remembering.

"Here you go, can you try sipping at this for me? Please?" Ezra quietly asked, handing her a bowl of homemade soup. She smiled slightly as she took the bowl, it seemed as if soup was the only thing he could cook with confidence. Though she hadn't eaten all day, she wasn't hungry. She picked and sipped at the soup, however, to appease Ezra.

A knock on the front door broke the pair out of the quiet, somber moment they were sharing, Ezra rose to answer the door and the second he opened it, Hanna was barreling through with no greeting or introduction.

"Is Aria here?" Before he could answer that, Hanna spotted Aria on the couch from the entryway and rushed over to pull her friend into a bone crushing hug. Caleb came through the door a second later, nodding his head in a typical male greeting towards Ezra. Pulling away from the hug, Hanna looked Aria up and down, scrutinizing everything about her. "How are you? You're not hurt are you? What happened?"

Ezra took that as his cue to leave, inviting Caleb to join him on the back deck to give Aria and Hanna some alone time.

"Calm down, Han. I'm fine. How did you find out about what happened? It hasn't even been 24 hours," Aria asked confused.

Hanna lowered herself to the couch before responding, Aria soon followed. "I found out that Jake had left Rosewood yesterday. I knew he hadn't bought my lie about you heading south so we came out here to warn you that he may be close. Caleb and I pulled into the gas station in town to fill up when we got here and the shooting is all anybody in this town is talking about. They're all worried about you, Aria."

"Great," Aria muttered. She suddenly felt like the weight of the world was back on her shoulders. Maybe it was her best friend's presence, or the severity of the day finally catching up with her, but she soon lost it. She let herself feel, for the first time that day, the full impact of what had happened. "Oh, Hanna…"

Pulling her into a tight embrace, Hanna sat there as Aria cried. She loved her best friend and this was exactly where she was needed to be. When Aria had calmed down enough to pull away and wipe away the remnants of her tears, Hanna reached into her purse and handed her a couple tissues.

"What happened, Aria? I just need to know that you're really ok."

Aria took a deep breath before responding. "He found me, Han. I don't know how he did but he was suddenly here, trapping me against the wall of the barn and threatening me. I- I got away but he chased after me and pulled a gun. We wrestled for it and it- it went off. The next thing I know, Ezra was there and Jake's…. Jake's dead." Tears filled her eyes as she recounted the story again for Hanna. She hastily wiped the tears away before offering her a watery smile. "I'm fine though. Nothing to worry about. I'm so happy you're here though, Hanna. So happy." She pulled her into another bone crushing hug.

Ezra and Caleb came back into the room a couple minutes later, making sure that they weren't interrupting anything before they did.

"I've offered for Caleb and Hanna to stay here, Aria, if that's ok with you? It's getting late and it would be best if they weren't driving for so long again."

Aria nodded her head in agreement. "I'd love it if you guys stayed. You can have the guest room. I'll…I'll stay with Ezra?" Questioningly she directed the statement at him, awaiting his approval. His wide smile was all she needed.

"Ok, it's all settled," Hanna exclaimed, clapping her hands eagerly. "So what do Farmer's eat around here? I'm starving!"

Aria and Ezra found themselves graciously playing host to Caleb and Hanna, though Ezra did most everything, refusing to allow Aria to even move from the couch for the rest of the evening. When they retired to bed later that night, he exhaustedly pulled her tight to his side, running his hand up and down her back in a soothing manner.

"I don't understand why I hurt so much," Aria whispered after a few silent moments. She sniffled before continuing. "Jake was an absolutely _horrible_ human being. He physically abused me, took advantage of me, controlled my life. He-"

"-was still your husband," Ezra cut her off softly. He reached down to gently lift her face so he could read her expression. "You will always feel something for him, Aria. There's a reason you were married to him. With time, though, this hurt you're feeling… it'll go away. It gets better, trust me."

Aria leaned up to give him a soft kiss. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for being here for me. I- I really do love you."

"More," Ezra said, smiling brightly in reply before pressing another kiss to her lips. "I love you more."

**What do y'all think? Did I do these last two chapters justice? I love reading your reviews!**


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

_**EZRA**_

Days melted into each other and summer turned into Autumn. Aria had slowly moved fully into Ezra's room and Wren had stuck around, much to Ezra's dismay, staying in the guest house. Hanna and Caleb tried to visit often but that was difficult when they lived hours away. Aria still struggled with the memory of that day, so much so that Ezra was often woken in the middle of the night to her tossing and turning. Things were slowly returning to normal, though, he could feel that. It helped that they each had their routines, Aria working at Emily's, him out in the fields, and both returning home to each other at the end of the day. Normalcy was nice.

Walking out of the barn, a large smile graced his face upon seeing Aria parking the truck in front of the guest house, next to Wren's. "Hey, there!" He called as he got closer, wiping his hands on a rag as he walked.

"Hey," Aria replied, flashing him a smile. She closed the truck's door and hitched her purse higher onto her shoulder. "I was just going to start dinner. Anything in particular you wanted tonight?"

"You," Ezra answered as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She giggled and reached up to press a quick kiss to his mouth.

"How about hamburgers?" She asked after a moment. He nodded in agreement and followed her inside. They quickly found a routine and soon enough dinner was done. Ezra seemed to inhale his food and Aria couldn't help but to laugh at his enthusiasm. He excused himself to use the restroom and Aria used the opportunity to fill the sink with soapy water to start cleaning the dishes. She had just started scrubbing the pans they had used when she felt a set of arms wrap around her from behind and Ezra started placing a series of kisses up her neck.

"You know what I realized today?" He mumbled into the space between her neck and shoulder.

"Hmm?"

He lifted his face so that he could meet her gaze in their reflection off of the window above the sink. Shooting her his boyish grin he continued. "We've never gone on a proper date."

Aria smiled slightly before turning her attention back towards the dishes. "No, we haven't." She reached for another dish and was just about to start washing it when it slipped from her wet hands into the water filled sink, shooting sudsy water all over them.

"Oh, now it's on," Ezra laughed. He quickly grabbed the spray gun and aimed it at her.

"Ezra, no," Aria said, throwing her hands up in surrender and slowly walking backwards, away from him. A large grin overcame his face and before she knew what was happening, he was drenching her. She let out squeal before reaching over and splashing him with the water from the sink. The situation soon turned into a full blown war and within minutes they were both drenched head to toe. Aria was trapped against the counter with Ezra less than a foot away, still aiming the gun at her.

"Ok, ok, you win!" She giggled. He pumped his fist through the air in victory before dropping the spray nozzle and moving to close the distance between them.

"So is that a yes?" He whispered with a smile, his lips less than a hair from hers.

"A… what?" Aria mumbled confused.

Ezra smiled even larger. "To our date? Will you go on a date with me?" She giggled in response, nodding her head. He wasted no time in crashing his lips to hers.

_**ARIA**_

The weekend rolled around and brought with it the date Ezra had promised to take her on. She was applying the last swipe of mascara to her eyes when he walked into the room, nervously tightening his tie. If she must admit it, he cleaned up well.

"Here, let me," she said, shooting him a grin. She reached up to fix his tie and pressed a kiss to his cheek when she was done.

"Ready?" He asked. Holding out his elbow, Ezra waited for Aria to link her arm with his before leading her out to the truck and climbing in. His nerves were so obvious that Aria wondered if something else was going on other than their date. She had been living with him for about six months now, and they had been acting like a couple for almost as long. Why, then, was he so jumpy?

Sensing her confusion, Ezra tore his eyes from the road to meet her gaze for a second before looking back out the window. "I'm sorry. I know I'm acting weird. It's just… I've actually dreamed about this night for a long while now. I want it to be perfect."

Smiling, Aria leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. "You're perfect. Everything else is just details." Ezra smiled back in return and reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as he drove.

A short drive later, Ezra was pulling up in front of a fancy French bistro in the next town over. He quickly parked the car and helped Aria from her seat before turning and walking towards the restaurant, his hand firmly placed upon the small of her back.

"Wow, French food. You must really like me," Aria said, nudging him as they walked.

"Aria, it's French _vegan_ food. I must really love you," Ezra replied with a chuckle. Reaching the hostess' station he turned to the woman standing there. "Hi, I have a reservation under Fitz."

Nodding, the lady grabbed two menus and started to walk away. "Right this way."

After they were seated and their waitress stopped by to take their orders, Aria sat sipping at her water while Ezra nervously shifted in his chair. He kept playing with his cuff links and fiddling with his tie. It made Aria giggle. When their food was eventually brought out, Aria hoped that Ezra would calm down enough to enjoy the meal. It only seemed to heighten his awkwardness though. She could tell that he didn't particularly enjoy the fancy atmosphere or the suit that he was currently wearing. Knowing him pretty well by now, Aria knew he'd much rather be at home, wearing his flannel shirt and ball cap, eating his soup and telling her about his day. She picked up the napkin from her lap and tossed it onto the table before standing and grabbing her coat. Ezra shot his head up in confusion and stood as well.

"Aria? What are you doing?"

Shooting him a smile she lifted her purse onto her shoulder and grabbed his hand. "Neither of us want to be here, Ezra," she started. When he started to object, she quickly cut him off. "I don't mean here _together_. I just meant in this social, elite situation. So let's go someplace more comfortable for our date. Please?"

A wide smile broke out across Ezra's face and he turned to waive down their waitress, asking for bags to take their food home in and then throwing some money onto the table. He led her back to the truck and drove them out to the lake where they had their first picnic. He had a spare blanket in the truck and wasted no time in losing his jacket and tie before setting up their dinner and tugging her down to join him.

Eating their dinner, they quickly lost track of time, just enjoying each other's company and the night in general. This was _much _better than some stuffy restaurant. Cleaning up the food, Ezra shot up and jogged over to the truck, turning on the radio to some old country western station.

"_He said I'll love you 'til I die. She told him you'll forget in time. As the years went slowly by, she still preyed upon his mind."_

"Dance with me?" Holding a hand out to Aria, Ezra watched as a soft smile formed on her face and she laid her hand in his, allowing him to pull her up and into his arms. They softly swayed in time to the music playing and listened to sound of the crickets and bull frogs in the background. Closing her eyes as they moved, Aria knew that she had finally found the man she was meant to be with. The drama with Jake had happened for a reason, it drove her out here to Winesburg… to Ezra. She rested her head against his shoulder and he tightened his hold on her in response. She could finally be happy.

_"Kept some letters by his bed, dated 1962. He had underlined in red every single I love you."_

**There's only a couple of chapters left, so once again I wanted to say thank you to everyone that's been reading this story. Your constant reviews and support really inspire me to keep writing. Thank you all so much for your dedication and encouragement!**


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

_**ARIA**_

"So what did you think of the reading?" Aria asked Ezra as she snuggled into his side, pulling the blankets up to fully cover them both. They had just gotten back home from a night out enjoying more 'culture' as he liked to put it, culture entailing a poetry reading and wine and cheese bar two towns over.

Pressing a soft kiss to her head, Ezra pretended to think over his answer. "I understand where he was coming from with the whole balloon metaphor but… did he have to write the entire poem in old English? I spent most of the night trying to decipher what it was he was saying, not enjoying it," he chuckled.

Aria laughed, hugging him tighter to her as she laid her head on his chest. Months had passed since their first date and Ezra was trying his hardest to find new things for them do together. It didn't really matter what it was that they did or where they went, she was just enjoying spending time with him. Her favorite part of their dates, however, were these moments right here. When she got to return home with him and cuddle in bed, sharing their thoughts on the evening and what they liked or didn't like.

"You know what I especially enjoyed, though?" Ezra asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"What's that?" she countered with a yawn.

Without warning, Ezra was flipping them so he hovered above her, hands resting on either side of her as he held himself up. A large smile overtook his face and he lowered himself until she could feel his breath on her own face. "You, in that black dress… You," pressing a light kiss to her mouth, he continued. "Looked." Another kiss. "Hot." He pressed his lips to her in a long, drawn out kiss, savoring the moment between them.

A blush covered her face when he pulled away and Aria tentatively smiled, reaching out to brush her hand along the light stubble upon his cheek. "Well, you didn't look half bad there yourself, Farmer Fitz." Smiling even wider, Ezra leaned down to passionately catch her lips with his own and for the rest of the night they lost themselves in each other.

When Aria woke the next morning, she was disappointed to find she was alone. Well she wasn't alone exactly, Chester lay sleeping on the floor next to her. Sighing, she pushed the blankets off of her and grabbed Ezra's robe. Suddenly, she had an idea.

Smiling brightly, she opened the dresser and hurriedly put on the first clothes she came across. Throwing her hair up in a messy bun, she made her way downstairs and out the backdoor. If Ezra wanted to abandon her every Saturday morning, then she wanted to know what he was abandoning her for. What could be more important than another hour of sleep? Maybe she could convince him that staying in bed was _much_ more fun.

The morning dew soaked her sandal covered feet but she paid it no mind as she walked through the fields. It was a beautiful morning, the sun had just risen and the birds chirping in the trees only added to the picturesque moment. She knit her brows in confusion as she had yet to spot Ezra. The further she got from the house, the more worried she got.

She had soon reached the wooden fence at the back of the property and followed along it until she came to a gate. Now she was even more confused. She had never come this far before, usually just making it as far as the tree line. From what she could see, beyond the gate led to more trees and shrubbery. The foliage was thick enough, however, that it was hard to make out much. Squinting her eyes, she was able to just make out a path, though, leading further into the trees. Without a second thought, she pushed open the gate and started along the trail.

The peacefulness that Aria loved so much about the farm seemed to amplify itself the deeper she got into the forest. The morning sun shining through the tree branches and the hum from all the different critters reminded her that everything was connected, all life was the result of a bigger picture. She smiled to herself as she thought about how lucky she was to finally be able to enjoy these kinds of moments.

The foliage started to thin somewhat after a minute or two of walking away from the fence and she was able to pick out a partial clearing up ahead. The trees gave way to a stream that followed along a rock bed under toned with a vast array of hues made up of stones and clay. She walked carefully through the underbrush to the dirt shore and decided to make her way away from the sun, following the moving body of water.

After a few moments she was finally able to spot Ezra. He knelt about twenty feet up stream, not facing the water, but looking into the trees, peering at something she was unable to see as he blocked her view. Just as she was about to call out to him, he hastily scrubbed his hand along his face and let out a defeated sigh. She could tell, even from this distance, that he had been crying and was desperately trying to contain the array of emotions he was currently feeling. She decided that perhaps this wasn't the best time to interrupt him and instead turned to take cover once again in the trees. She'd allow him his moment alone for once.

"I'm so, so sorry," she heard Ezra hiccup. He roughly ran his hand under the brim of his worn out ball cap, through his hair, before dropping back from his knees to sit on the ground. "I know I told Aria that it gets better with time, that you stop hurting so bad with the passage of each season, but I don't honestly know if that's true. If it is, then why do I still feel as if my heart's been ripped from my chest? Like I'm still responsible for what happened because I wasn't there? I just… I miss you so much, Dad."

Ezra shifted slightly from where he sat and Aria was finally able to see what he was looking at. It was a headstone.

**STEPHEN PAUL FITZGERALD**

**B. 06-12-1963**

**D. 08-30-2006**

"**Loving Father & Friend"**

Aria gasped as she realized what she was looking at. This was where Ezra's father was buried, where he was laid to rest, and Ezra had been coming out here every Saturday to visit him, not to tend to his crops. She caught herself against one of the trees behind her as her legs suddenly felt weak. She had no idea that he was still dealing with this tragedy, with this level of grief.

Ezra chuckled, breaking Aria from her thoughts. "I wish you could've met her, though. Aria I mean. She's amazing, Dad. She really is. With everything she's gone through, she's still the strongest person I know. At least stronger than me," Ezra whispered the last part so quietly that Aria almost missed it. She wiped a few tears from her own eyes as she listened to him. Perhaps she shouldn't be eavesdropping, this was a private moment between a father and a son, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to know what Ezra was struggling with, what it was that she could see constantly causing the hurt deep within his eyes. This was it.

"I love you, Dad. And don't worry, I've tilled early this year after reading the almanac, just as you always told me to do. Everything's going well." Ezra sighed before pushing himself to his feet and wiping his dirty hands across his pant leg. "Well, I'm going to get going before anyone starts to worry."

Pausing for a moment, Ezra slowly turned his head to the right, once again looking at something out of her range of sight. "Love you too." He stared for a moment longer before turning and disappearing into the trees.


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

_**ARIA**_

To say that she was confused would be an understatement. Now that Ezra was no longer blocking her view, she could clearly see two headstones. The second one was slightly smaller than his father's, and almost completely hidden by the shadow of a large tree just to the right of the stone. When she was sure that Ezra was no longer anywhere near where she was hidden, she stepped out from the trees and started walking towards where he had previously resided.

When she got close enough to see the writing etched on the second stone, any breath she had seemed to be knocked from her body. She collapsed to her own knees in front of the two markers, unable to properly understand what she was seeing.

"_Hi, there. Never seen you before." Startled, Aria turned to meet the gaze of a young man standing just on the other side of the fence. He had his arms crossed, leaning over the wood, with a soft smile gracing his face. He appeared to be a few years younger than herself, with a mop of sandy brown hair and a charming smile. Extending a hand, he said, "I'm Wesley."_

The marker was carved from the same stone used for the larger headstone, the writing was identical. Aria seemed to collapse in on herself as she bordered on the edge of discerning what actually constituted reality. Lifting her head once again, she stared at the marker, unable to tear her eyes away.

**WESLEY JAMES FITZGERALD**

**B. 10-16-1990**

**D. 08-30-2006**

"**Loving Son, Brother, & Friend"**

She suddenly tore herself from the ground, jolting up in such haste that the trees around her seemed to spin for a second. Catching her balance, she turned and sprinted back towards the farm. She needed to talk to Ezra, she needed to know this entire story. Why had he kept this from her? The trees and shrubbery were a blur as she ran. Tears brimmed at her eyes. As much as she tried to understand what was happening, it was hard to comprehend without knowing all of the details.

_Wesley let out a short laugh before hitching a thumb over his shoulder. "I live just out thata way. I'm… Ezra's neighbor. You must be new around here, never met anyone in Winesburg I didn't know."_

When she reached the guest house, she turned to lean against it for a moment in order to catch her breath. She didn't know what Ezra was going to tell her but she felt that she better have more control than this. After drawing in another deep breath, she turned and made her way up the back steps leading onto the deck. Just as she was about to pull open the door into the kitchen, Ezra came walking out, holding a mug of coffee and staring down at the newspaper in his hands.

"Hey! There you are, I was just beginning to wonder- Aria? What's wrong?" Without waiting for her response, Ezra dropped the newspaper and coffee cup onto the railing of the deck before pulling her into his arms.

"Ezra, I- I…" Aria stuttered her response as she tried to calm her racing heart. Pulling back from him, she rested her hands upon his chest before looking up to hold his gaze. She seemed at a loss for words, however, and a concerned look overcame Ezra's face.

Reaching out to cup her jaw, Ezra pulled her over to sit with him on the porch swing. "Hey, what's going on? Talk to me, please, you're beginning to worry me…" he asked in a tone so quiet it was almost a whisper.

She nervously reached her hand up to smooth away the hair that had fallen out of the messy bun she'd thrown together that morning. "I… I came looking for you this morning… and I- I saw where you've been going every Saturday…" Aria whispered. She avoided his gaze, too afraid of his reaction to look at him. She felt him abruptly stop the rocking of the bench as he hitched his own breath and went completely still.

"So you saw…" he trailed off.

She nodded her head slowly in response. All was quiet again for a few moments before she cautiously raised her eyes to look at him. He was staring off, beyond the barn into the fields surrounding the property. It was her turn to reach out for him, so she tentatively took his hand and laced their fingers before giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Why didn't you tell me the whole story Ezra? I mean, you don't have to but… I'm here for you, in every way possible. I don't want you to feel like you need to deal with anything alone, especially this."

She watched as Ezra released a small sigh before turning to finally meet her questioning gaze. He grasped their joined hands with his other hand, softly running his thumb over one of her knuckles. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you, Aria. I just- I've had to deal with this alone for so long now that I didn't want anyone to experience the hurt I've felt since that night. I thought by telling you only half of the story, you wouldn't pity me the way others have. That you wouldn't blame me… like I do, " he whispered, looking down at their hands.

She reached over with her free hand to lift his face slightly, enough so that she could see beautiful eyes. Smiling warmly at him, she attempted to relieve any reservations he had about sharing his past with her. "I would _never_ blame you, Ezra. And I certainly would never judge you for anything that happened in your past. Please just talk to me. Please." She echoed the words he had spoken earlier, hoping he'd open up.

Once again ripping his gaze from her to stare out into the fields, he sat quietly, thinking of how he was to tell her what had happened so long ago.

"When my dad came out here to live in Winesburg, he didn't know that my mother was pregnant again. She didn't tell him, either, instead keeping that information only for herself as a sort of payback for him leaving her. My brother, Wesley, was born when I was three. He was favored his entire life by our mother, that was why I was neglected as much as I was. I loved him, so much, though." Sighing, Ezra continued. "He was always the more mischievous one, pushing my mother's buttons and testing her limits. My only real test of her sanity came when I made my escape out here. What I didn't know, however, was that he would follow me. He was a smart kid. He'd paid attention to the maps and directions I had hidden back in New York and a week after I'd gone, he showed up on my Dad's doorstep, toting along a worn out backpack and his stuffed teddy bear that he never went anywhere without."

Ezra smiled as he recalled the memory but something about the expression was off, like he was holding himself back from completely losing it. "My Dad called my mother up and went off on her about keeping his son from him, saying that he would find a way to press charges, to make her pay for all of the time he'd missed. He was never a revengeful person, though, he just wanted to scare my mother. And it worked. She let us live out here peacefully, not fighting him over our care at all. I really hit my rebellious stage when I got into my late teens. I tried smoking, drinking alcohol, getting into everything I could think of. Wesley started to copy me. My dad saw this and after a man-to-man talk, he straightened me out, telling me I was a role model for my younger brother and that I needed to start socializing with the right people, no more of the loner crap. Hanging out alone was what was causing my issues, that's why he insisted that I go to that party that night."

A few tears rolled down Ezra's cheeks as he struggled to compose himself enough to continue with the story. Aria tightened her hold on his hand and never once broke her gaze from his face. "Wes… Wes wasn't allowed to come to the party, he was only fifteen. He got angry and stormed out of the house when I grabbed the keys to go. My dad told me not to worry about it, that he'd talk with him… so I left. Wesley had gone out into the barn and found a pack of cigarettes that I'd hidden out there. That was what started the fire that night."

At this point, Ezra completely lost it. Tears streamed down his face and his breath caught in his throat as he collapsed back against the back of the bench, staring up into the early morning sky. "I didn't know where he was when I got back, I knew my dad was dead but I had no idea where my little brother was. Everyone kept asking me 'Where's Wes?' and I couldn't answer them. I called through the house, ran out into the fields, and I never found him. It wasn't until the structure had completely burnt down and the fire department was clearing away the debris that they found him."

"Oh, Ezra," Aria whispered. She pulled him to her, enveloping him in her arms and holding him until he calmed down enough to pull away and look at her.

He reached forward, cupping her cheek with his hand. "I didn't want to tell you this, Aria, because I didn't want you to see me any different than as the man you already knew. I should have been there that night. I knew how much my brother idolized me, it was my cigarettes that he'd stolen. I should have been there," he repeated.

Aria once again grabbed for his hand and refused to tear her gaze from his as she responded. "In no way, what so ever, is any of that your fault, Ezra. None of it. You need to stop blaming yourself. Let me in, let me be here for you to help you with this hurt."

Ezra was silent for a minute or two before he suddenly jumped to his feet and ran inside the house. Aria contorted her face in worry, standing to go after him, when he reemerged from the house, holding a small box in his hand.

"You _have_ been here for me, Aria. You've been here for me since the moment you walked up my driveway. I'm just sorry that it took so long for me to see that. I- I can't imagine dealing with this alone any longer. I love you, so much it hurts." Aria went into shock as she watched him drop onto one knee, offering her the small jewelry box.

_Wesley was silent for a moment before responding. "Well, I hope you stick around for a bit, Aria. Ezra could definitely use the company up there. He's been alone in that big house for a long while now. Don't tell him I said that, of course," he said laughing._

Ezra sucked in his breath, looking up to take in everything about her. "I need you in my life, Aria. Marry me?"

**Shocked? Saddened? What's y'all's thoughts?**


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

_**ARIA**_

"Ezra… I- I don't know," Aria whispered. The destroyed look that briefly flashed across his face was enough to force Aria to her own knees. She took his hands, jewelry box and all, between her own as a few tears trickled down her face. "I love you. Completely. It's just… I don't want you proposing out of grief or because you're afraid to lose me. I'm not going anywhere."

Ezra shook his head furiously before extracting his hands and shoving the box into his pocket. He framed her face with both of his hands. "I'm not proposing to you for any of those reasons, Aria. I'm asking you to marry me because I can't live the rest of my life without you as my wife. My mother… she completely ruined to entire marriage idea for me. It wasn't until I lived with my father that I understood what it was all about. Even after all the years apart, he was still completely in love with her. I think she was too. That's why she comes out here to visit his grave."

Taking a deep breath, he dropped his hands and fell back onto his heels. "I want to marry you because I'm certain I've found my other half. You make me a better man, Aria. You have from the moment I met you. Please. Just think about it."

Aria nodded her head slightly as she brushed a few stray tears from her cheek. "I will, Ezra. I'll think about. Just… just give me time."

The awkward tension between them seemed to thicken with each passing moment. Aria decided that she needed to busy herself, to get away from this intense moment in order to clear her head. Rising to her feet, she nervously pushed a few stray hairs behind her ear and crossed her arms across her chest. "I think I'll go take a shower now."

Ezra nodded his head but didn't meet her eyes as he acknowledged what she said. She took in a deep breath before pulling open the kitchen door and making her way inside. One last look behind her showed Ezra still sitting dejectedly on the floor of the deck. Was she doing the right thing by waiting to think this over? Or was she hurting him more in the process?

_**EZRA**_

A million emotions ran through him as he sat there after Aria had left. He was sad from rehashing the night his father and brother were killed. He was happy that Aria finally knew everything he had been hiding from her. He was angry at himself for forcing a marriage proposal on her when she obviously was not over Jake yet.

Pushing up from his position on the deck, he ran a tired hand through his hair before grabbing his ball cap off the railing and hastily shoving it on his head. Heading towards the barn he decided that it'd be best to give her space. He certainly didn't want her running because she felt pressured to say yes. And he _definitely_ didn't want her saying yes because she thought that's what he wanted. It was what he wanted, but he wanted her to want that as well.

He had been in the barn all of fifteen minutes when Wren came walking in. He was whistling some off-tune version of Shania Twain's 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman!' and sporting a carefree goofy grin. "Hey there, Partner. Good morning."

Ezra flashed him a half formed smile before turning back to where he was rigging the tractor up to his plow.

"Ok, what's wrong?" Wren asked. He came over to lean against the side of the tractor, folding his arms across his chest and staring at Ezra until he gave an angry huff and threw down the rag he'd been using to wipe off his hands.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong, Wren."

He gave him a knowing look before crossing his feet in front of him. "Something's obviously got your knickers in a bunch. Not to mention the fact that I just watched Aria throw some pans into the sink with unrepentant rage five minutes ago. You two spatting or something?"

Ezra was silent before turning to lean against the tractor next to him. Wren turned to look at him, awaiting his answer. "I asked her to marry me."

Wren's jaw fell wide open and he was quiet for a moment as he thought of how to respond to Ezra's reveal. "And she said… no?"

Ezra shook his head. "Not exactly. But she didn't say yes. She said she needs time to think."

Wren remained silent before speaking up. "Don't let her think too long. That woman's crazy about you, Z, anyone can see that. She's probably just confused because of how her last marriage ended."

"That's what I'm worried about. Do you think I asked too soon?"

Wren shrugged slightly. "I don't think so, but everyone's different. She just needs time to straighten out her head. Then she'll be all over you." He grinned wryly before pushing of the tractor. "Besides, who wouldn't want a piece of you? You've had to hold me off ya since I got here…"

_**ARIA**_

The day seemed to drudge on. And on. And on. She didn't know what to say to Ezra when she saw him next. He was doing a good job of avoiding her, staying out in the fields all day, even skipping lunch. The more time they spent apart, the more anxious she became. She decided that she needed to talk to Hannah.

Dialing her best friend, Aria waited three entire rings before she finally picked up. "'ello," Hanna muttered distractedly.

"Hanna, hey it's me."

Aria listened as Hanna suddenly started to clean up whatever she'd been working on in order to turn her full attention to their conversation. "Aria! Hey! How's it going? You still making the nasty with Farmer Boy over there?"

Aria rolled her eyes at her best friend's vulgarity. "Yes, I'm still out here with Ezra, Han. But… I kind of need to talk with you about something."

The change in Aria's tone of voice caught Hanna's attention immediately. "What's going on? Has he hurt you? I swear, Aria, I'll-"

"No, Hanna, he hasn't hurt me," Aria said, cutting her off. "I think I might have hurt him…" she trailed off in a whisper.

Hanna was silent on the other end of the phone for a while so Aria decided to continue. "He asked me to marry him, Han…" she trailed off in a whisper.

An excited squeal from the other end of the line forced Aria to move the phone away from her ear to avoid any permanent damage. "Aria! I'm so happy for you! Ok, let's see… I'm not free for another two weeks but the weekend after I'll come down. We can go dress shopping, pick out placements-"

"Hannah, calm down," Aria laughed, cutting her off. She swallowed nervously before filling her friend in on her dilemma. "I didn't exactly tell him yes."

"What do you mean you didn't say YES?!" Hanna exclaimed.

"I just… with everything that happened with Jake and then Ezra's family I couldn't. I love him, Hannah, more than I've ever loved anyone else in my life, but I want my next marriage to be my last. I can't handle another separation."

Hanna was silent for a long while, enough that Aria looked to her phone to make sure they hadn't been disconnected. "Aria… that man is head over heels for you and I've seen the way you look at him. What you and Jake had was nothing compared to what you have with Ezra. He's the one, I can see it. And I don't know anything about what happened with his family, but what happened with Jake just shows how much he cares for you. That man has been there through everything for you, even when you were just a stranger that showed up on his doorstep. Take time and think about it, talk with him, but don't leave him hanging too long, he deserves more than that."

Aria sighed as she ran a hand through her hair and stared out at the barn through the kitchen window. Hanna was right. She needed to talk with Ezra and figure out where they were going to go from here. The thing was, she wasn't quite sure where that was.

**Should Aria just bite the bullet and say yes for the sake of saying yes? Or will she discover a better reason for agreeing? Ezra's end game, we all know that. But does that necessarily mean marriage? Let me know what y'all think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE**

_**EZRA**_

He'd been avoiding Aria all day. Well not so much avoiding her as avoiding the awkward tension he was sure to feel in her company. He'd never put himself out there like this before. He felt vulnerable, weak even. What surprised him the most, however, was that he was willing to feel like this for her.

Lowering the power door to the barn he released a heavy sigh as he turned towards the main house. He couldn't avoid her forever. Besides, he hadn't eaten all day and whatever she was cooking for dinner smelled delicious, even all the way out here.

Just as he started to make his way towards the back door, Toby's car came speeding up the driveway. Ezra knit his brows in confusion as to his friend's reckless driving. He watched as Toby came to an abrupt halt right behind his truck and threw open the door to get out, not bothering to even shut the car off.

The frantic look in Toby's eyes instantly caused Ezra's heart to almost stop. He had only seen him look like that one other time. Ezra rushed over to Toby and helped him to sit on the hood of the car, watching as his friend took a deep breath to calm down.

"Toby? What's going on? Is Spencer ok? The baby?" Ezra started shooting questions the second his friend looked calm enough to answer them.

Toby shook his head before jumping up from his spot. "The baby… the baby's-" Ezra waited for him to finish but saw that he wasn't going to so he jumped in.

"What's wrong with the baby? What's going on?"

"Spencer's- Spencer's water broke… I rushed her to the hospital in Williamsburg, we've been there an hour. I tried calling but your phone must be off or something because it went straight to voicemail."

Ezra pulled his phone from his pocket and indeed saw that it was dead.

"She told me to come find you guys, she'll be in labor for another couple of hours though."

Ezra nodded furiously, shoving his dead phone back into his pocket. He pushed Toby to once again sit on the hood of the car before turning to run towards the house. "Stay here. Let me grab Aria and Wren." He didn't wait for a reply as he took the stairs up the deck into the kitchen two at a time.

Pushing his way hurriedly into the kitchen, he saw Wren eating whatever Aria had prepared as she stood scrubbing a few pans. She would never eat without him, regardless of the current situation. They both looked up when he came in.

Dropping the pan she'd been cleaning, Aria rounded the island to come closer, a concerned look gracing her face. "Ezra? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong. But we've got to go. Spencer's gone into labor, Toby's waiting outside."

They both jumped from their current spots and grabbed their jackets, following Ezra out the door without a second thought. When they reached Toby's car, Ezra pushed him to sit in the passenger's seat, deeming him in no condition to drive. He floored it to the hospital, breaking all kinds of traffic laws and after parking the car, the group ran after Toby as he barreled through the hospital doors, in line to his wife's room.

Spencer looked the most uncomfortable Ezra had ever seen her in the entire time he'd known her when they entered her room. She lay, pale and sweaty, collapsed against a mountain of pillows. Toby wasted no time in rushing to her side, gingerly picking up her hand and planting a few kisses to her hand.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Aria asked gently, walking over to take Spencer's other hand.

Spencer sighed, looking towards the ceiling for a moment. "Like someone's ripping my insides out, but only in spurts. It comes and it goes. Between the agonizing moments, though, I'm just exhausted. I just want to sleep."

Toby chuckled nervously. "You can sleep soon, Spenc. Soon."

They stood around keeping Spencer company for another couple of hours and honestly, Ezra was grateful for the distraction as it was keeping his mind off of his situation with Aria. She sat there most of the time, comforting Spencer, holding her hand when the contractions became too much for Toby to handle. If Ezra hadn't already been completely in love with her, he was now from just watching how much she cared for their friend.

It was coming on early morning, and Ezra was struggling to keep his eyes open, leaning against the back wall, when Spencer let out a pained yell. Her contractions had been getting closer together, taking almost every ounce of energy she had. Without warning, the doctor examining her looked up and pulled his surgical mask from his face so that he could speak.

"For those of you who aren't immediate family, would you please go wait in the waiting room? It's time for this little one to make an appearance."

Aria immediately leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Spencer's head. "You can do this. We'll be right down the hall." The three of them left the room, following the doctor's orders to make their way to the waiting room.

Collapsing in the nearest chair, Wren closed his eyes. "Wake me up when it's over, I'm exhausted." Within a matter of moments, he was out, lightly snoring in his seat.

Aria sat down in a chair a few rows over and stared out the large window occupying most of the far wall. Ezra uncertainly sat down next to her, reaching for her hand and interlacing their fingers after a few silent moments. She turned to him, flashing a small smile.

"Listen, Ezra, I know we need to talk…" Aria nervously started.

"Hey, shhh. We don't need to talk about that now, ok? We can talk when you've had time, Aria. I'm not rushing you to give me an answer. I did realize something today though," Ezra responded. He looked down at their intertwined hands. "My life has forever been changed because of you and I will do anything to keep you, Aria. Married or not, it doesn't matter to me. I just want you, for as long as you'll have me."

Aria brushed a stray tear from her cheek before leaning over to press her lips lightly to his. "I love you."

"Love you more," Ezra responded with a large smile.

For the next hour, Ezra and Aria sat in companionable silence. She had rested her head against her shoulder and was so quiet that Ezra had to check that she was still awake. Just before the sun decided to rise above the horizon, Toby came into the room, a large grin covering his face as he held a small blue bundle in his arms. Ezra reached over to hit Wren awake before standing to his feet and helping Aria to hers.

"He's a boy!" Toby called ecstatically. He pulled the blanket down from the baby's face so that the three of them could get a good look. Aria awed in amazement, gingerly running her finger along the baby's cheek. Ezra could see her fighting back tears of happiness and couldn't erase the silly stupid smile from his face in response to her joy.

"Does he have a name yet? Or should we just call him Baby Cavanaugh until he picks his own," Wren joked, playfully punching Toby's shoulder.

Toby was silent for a minute until finally raising his eyes to meet Ezra's gaze. He smiled lightly before responding. "Stephen Wesley. His name is Stephen Wesley Cavanaugh."

Ezra's eyes instantly filled with tears and he didn't even bother trying to hold them back as he pulled Toby and the baby into a tight hug. The range of emotions running through him within the course of 24 hours was astounding. He didn't know he was capable of feeling such intense sensations.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Just… thank you."

After a few sentimental moments, Toby pulled back. "Well, Spencer's passed out from this whole experience. I suspect she'll be sleeping for a while yet. You guys can take my car and head home if you want. I'll call when you can come back and see them. Charge your phone, Ezra."

Ezra laughed before clapping Toby's shoulder and nodding his head. He was exhausted enough that he couldn't wait to collapse in his own bed for the next couple of hours, so when they finally did get home, he headed straight for the stairs. He had just stripped down to his boxers, ready to peel back the blankets on his bed when he heard Aria enter the room. He looked up to meet her gaze.

"Yes," she whispered. He dropped the blanket in shock. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Unsure of how to respond, Ezra stood there with his jaw wide open for a minute or two before pulling her into his arms and crushing her to him. "Are you- you sure?" he stuttered.

He felt her nod against his chest and he knew she was crying when he felt moisture against his bare skin. She pulled back enough so that she could see his face, framing it between both of her hands. "Watching Toby and Spencer today… I want that, Ezra. And you're the only man I can ever see myself having that with. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life getting to love you even more. So yes, I will marry you."

"I love you, too, Aria. You've just made me the happiest man on the face of this planet. Thank you, thank you so much," Ezra whispered. He wasted no time in crushing his lips to her in a passionate embrace. He was beyond ecstatic that she had said yes and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with her by his side.

**One more chapter to go… what'd y'all think? Hope you've enjoyed this story thus far and I can't wait to read your thoughts!**


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR**

_**EZRA**_

"I dunno how you're acting so calm, Man. You are literally entering into the last form of legal slavery known to man," Wren joked as he straightened his tie. "I don't care how hot the chick is, and don't get me wrong, Aria is pretty bangin'… you'll never see me tied down."

Ezra chuckled as he finished pulling his belt through the loops and buckled it. "You know, I said the same thing, Wren. Don't say never. When the right girl comes around… things change. Your priorities will change. Trust me on this."

Wren just rolled his eyes, reaching around for his jacket before clapping Ezra on the shoulder and heading out the door.

It was mid-summer, more than a year after Ezra had asked Aria to marry him. He had given her time to adjust to the whole idea of marriage before setting a date and she was extremely grateful for it. They had decided to hold it on the farm as that was where they had met and where everything monumental for both of them had so far occurred. Ezra honestly couldn't imagine having his wedding anywhere else and he was grateful he had found a woman who held the same love for his father's property.

"You ready?" Toby asked, sticking his head into the guest house. Ezra took a deep breath before nodding his head and following his best man out the door. They had decided to keep the wedding party small; Ezra having Toby as his best man and Wren as his groomsman, while Aria had Hanna as her maid of honor and Spencer as her bridesmaid. The girls were currently getting ready in the main house.

Taking his place at the altar, Ezra couldn't help but to think of his dad and brother. They would have loved being here for this. He caught sight of Stephen, currently being held by Emily in the front row and he smiled at the little boy. This day was perfect, the woman that would soon be joining him at the end of the aisle was perfect. A huge smile overtook Ezra's face as the music started playing and he watched in anticipation as first Spencer, then Hannah came down the aisle.

"_When I said I do, I meant that I will, Til' the end of all time be faithful and true, devoted to you. That's what I had in mind, when I said I do."_

Ezra's breath caught in his throat as he watched Aria round the corner of the barn, her arm linked with her father's. He didn't think he'd ever seen someone so beautiful, so radiant. She caught her gaze with his and didn't break it until her hand was being placed in his own as she was handed over.

"I love you," Ezra mouthed to her. A blush covered her cheeks and she hesitantly reached forward to brush his own cheek with her hand.

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Mr. Ezra Fitzgerald and Ms. Aria Montgomery…" As the pastor began the service, everything that was said, all the songs that were sang and passages that were read, everything blended into a hum of noise and activity that neither of them took much mind to. The only thing they concentrated on was each other, speaking when necessary but otherwise forgetting everything around them.

When the rings were handed to him, Ezra looked up, once again locking his gaze with Aria's as he slid his grandmother's wedding set onto her finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," he repeated after the pastor.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Aria whispered, sliding his own ring onto its rightful place on his finger.

"And now, by the power vested in me by the State of Ohio, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Ezra, you may kiss your bride."

"_Truer than true. You know that I'll always be there for you. That's what I had in mind… when I said I do."_

As they pulled away from their embrace the sound of the applause and whistling overtook them. Ezra was unable to erase the boyish grin that was now permanently etched upon his face as he took his wife's hand and turned towards their family and friends.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time, it is my privilege to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Fitzgerald."

A shower of birdseed and bubbles enveloped them as they made their way down the aisle. Ezra was clapped on the back by most of the guys he passed but soon enough they were free from the crowd and hurried away to take pictures.

The afternoon blended into an evening filled with lots of music, food and of course, alcohol. The barn had been decorated with paper lanterns and an abundance of white stringed lights. Tea candles adorned tables where guests sat enjoying the food they had personally grown on the property, and Ezra couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the love and support surrounding him that night. He had honestly thought that he would never see this day.

"You look after my little girl," Byron Montgomery said as he came up to where Ezra was standing off to the side of the dance floor, taking in the joyous crowd. He was silent for a moment, staring down into the drink in his hand before sighing and straightening his posture as he continued. "Aria… she's been through a lot… a lot more than anyone should ever have to go through at her age. A lot of that is my fault, and we've never really made amends for how I treated her and her brother while they were growing up. I don't suppose I really deserve her forgiveness."

Ezra didn't speak, instead staring out into the crowd and running his thumb across the wedding band on his finger. He knew about Aria's past with her dad, the verbal abuse she'd suffered. It was part of the reason she had let herself get caught up in the Jake situation. Ezra didn't think _he_ could forgive Byron for that, but Aria was a bigger person than himself.

"Anyway, I stood by and ignored what she was going through during her last marriage. I won't make the same mistake. Treat her right." With a nod of the head, Byron disappeared into the crowd and Ezra was left feeling bewildered as to what he had said. He would _never_ treat Aria with anything less than absolute respect and love; that was what she deserved.

He looked across the dance floor and caught site of his wife dancing with Wren. Abandoning his own drink on the nearest table he made his way over to them and tapped Wren on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?"

Shaking his head in amusement, Wren stepped back, allowing Ezra to take Aria into his arms. "You have my number should you change your mind Aria. Don't forget, I asked you out first!" Wren joked. Ezra rolled his eyes and laughed as Wren made his way off the dance floor.

They swayed gently to the music that played for a while, Ezra again losing himself in the embrace of the woman that he would spend the rest of his life with. He didn't know how he had gotten lucky enough for her to pick his house when she arrived in Winesburg, but he would make sure to show her everyday how grateful his was that she had shown up at his doorstep.

"So is this everything you dreamed of?" Aria asked him quietly.

Reaching forward, he tucked a piece of hair that had come out of her up-do behind one of her ears, smiling gently down at her. "It's more."

Aria blushed as she averted her eyes but Ezra couldn't tear his gaze away from her face, attempting to take in everything about her, everything about this night.

"You know, my mother came down the day of my brother and father's funeral," Ezra whispered down to her. Aria instantly brought her gaze up to meet his, listening to his story. "I was angry at her. Angry that she suddenly felt the right to see them when she had abandoned us all long ago. But when I saw her, standing over their graves as everyone else left, I saw a woman deeply broken because of the love she still had for that man. It was written clear as day across her face."

Ezra reached up to harshly wipe a tear away before smiling gently down at his bride and cupping her cheek in his hand. "My love for you will not be broken by anything that ever happens during our lives. Anything. That was one lesson that I _did _learn from my parent's marriage. You're stuck with me, Aria," he said chuckling.

She reached up to brush the hair off of his forehead before gracing him with her own smile. "Good. Because you're stuck with me too. Forever." As their lips met in a gentle kiss, Ezra couldn't be happier as he thought of his future. Aria was all he needed to finally be complete.

**Well, what do y'all think? Did the ending do justice for the story? Was everything wrapped up as you thought it should be? Thank you **_**so**_** much for reading this story! If there's enough interest I'll do an epilogue. If not, make sure you follow me so that you can find out when I post my next story. Thanks again for reading!**


	25. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

_**ARIA**_

She turned first one way, then the other as she took in her reflection in the mirror above their dresser. The summer dress she wore was tighter than it had ever been and she couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious about her appearance. Arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her middle and she watched as Ezra leaned down, placing a series of kisses between her neck and shoulder.

He looked up and caught her gaze in the mirror, flashing her a loving smile. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"I don't feel beautiful," Aria said with a sigh. She looked down, avoiding his stare. "I feel like I'm as big as a whale. And this summer heat is _not_ helping."

Ezra laughed, pulling away slightly so that he could turn her to look at him. He lifted her chin gently to make eye contact before responding. "You are eight months pregnant, Aria. You're supposed to be a tad bigger but let me tell you… I think you're the most beautiful pregnant woman that there ever was. Absolutely. Beautiful." He punctuated each word with a soft kiss before pulling back and softly smiling down at her.

Aria rolled her eyes as her own smile mirrored his. "You're biased… but I'll accept the compliment."

"Good. Now come on, we're going to be late," Ezra replied with a laugh. He grabbed his ball cap from atop the chest of drawers and taking his wife's hand, made his way down the stairs and out to the truck. Opening the door for her, he was stopped short when instead of climbing in she stood still for a moment before pulling a shopping bag from the seat.

"What's this?" she asked, making to open the bag. He quickly swiped for it but she moved it behind her, out of his reach.

Ezra nervously ran a hand over his neck, avoiding eye contact. "I uh- it's nothing. It's just something I saw at the store the other day and I-"

Before he could continue, Aria was opening the bag, peering inside to see what it was that he was so nervous about. She let a soft smile grace her face as she reached in to pull out an infant sized baseball hat. It was the exact same hue of red as the cap sitting atop Ezra's head and almost identical in appearance.

"This is _very_ cute," Aria giggled, playing with the brim.

A blush covered Ezra's face before he took the hat into his own hands. "I just thought, you know, a baby could really use a hat. I dunno…"

Aria smiled at his nervousness. "The baby will look adorable in this, Ezra. I can't wait to see him or her matching their daddy." She leaned up to give him a soft kiss before turning to climb in the truck. "Now come on, Mister. We really are going to be late if you don't get a move on it."

Smiling, Ezra quickly shut her door and jogged around the truck to jump in the driver's seat and pushed the truck into drive, heading towards the road. Spencer and Toby's son Stephen had turned six a couple months ago and had begged to join a baseball team for his birthday. Ezra and Toby had somehow gotten roped into coaching the team. Aria giggled to herself as she remembered the amount of coercing she'd had to do in order to convince her husband to help out. She could see how much he honestly loved doing it, though, and she couldn't wait to see him as a father to their own child.

When Ezra pulled into the small dirt lot just outside of a ball field on the outskirts of town, Aria was quick to spot Spencer, holding her two year old daughter in the stands just behind the home team's bench. She pressed a quick kiss to Ezra's cheek before climbing the aluminum stairs to sit by her friend.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" Spencer asked as Aria sat down.

"Like I weigh five hundred pounds," Aria groaned, dropping her purse from her shoulder onto the bench beside her. "And my feet barely fit into any of my shoes anymore. I may have to start wearing Ezra's."

Spencer laughed in response to Aria's statement. "Yeah, been there. Men are _so_ lucky they don't have to deal with this."

"Oh trust me, I make sure Ezra has to deal with these pregnancy symptoms as much as I do," Aria giggled. "He's gotten very good at foot and back massages. I've even taught him to cook something more than soup."

Brooklyn, Spencer's daughter, suddenly reached out for Aria. "Up!"

"Brooklyn, what do you say first?" Spencer asked.

"Pwease," the little girl whispered. Aria laughed before turning and pulling the little girl onto her lap. Looking out at the field as the game began, Aria made eye contact with Ezra from where he stood coaching on third base and gave him a small wave. He blew her a kiss in response.

The afternoon dragged on until the late afternoon sun was soon becoming too much for Aria to handle in her current condition. She was reaching down into her purse to search for the water bottle she'd put in there when a shadow came over her. She looked up to see Ezra holding the handrail to the stairs, half on her level and half on the one below them.

"Hey, we should head home. It's getting brutally hot out here," he told her, reaching for her hand.

Aria knit her brows in confusion, turning to look out at the field. The game was still going on, they were barely half way through it. "Ezra, the game's not over yet?"

Smiling, he pulled her up and to him and grabbed her purse from next to Spencer. "I know, but Toby can handle the rest of the game. I don't think it's a very good idea for you to be out taking in this much sun. I should have thought about that before letting you come today." He started walking towards their truck, gently coaxing her to follow with a hand on her back.

"Ezra, I'm fine. I brought plenty of water and a hat and Stephen's counting on you-"

"Aria, there will be other games. Now come on, I'm exhausted," Ezra said, cutting her off. He once again helped her into the passenger's seat and wasted no time in driving them home. Wren was just closing the back door leading into the kitchen when they pulled up outside the house. Aria was extremely confused. He said he'd be in Columbus all weekend, visiting a few friends. Waving, Wren met them at the foot of the stairs leading up onto the deck.

"It's all set, gotta go now, Buddy. It's a couple hours' drive to the big city, see you two Monday!" With no other explanation for his cryptic statement, Wren was peeling out of the drive, on course to enjoy what was sure to be a giant drunken party all weekend.

"Ezra? What's going on?" Aria asked, turning towards her husband. He just smiled at her before taking her hand and leading her into the house.

The first thing she noticed upon entering the kitchen was the rich aroma of sautéed vegetables and a homemade potato casserole. She instantly started salivating at the wide array of smells until her stomach started to grumble in response. Ezra's smile turned into an even bigger grin as he led her to the table and pulled out her chair for her to sit down. He turned towards the stove and carried over the prepared dishes, serving first her than himself before joining her at the table.

Taking her hands into his own, Ezra was silent for a moment before turning to answer Aria's questioning gaze. "Aria, you have made me the happiest I have ever been since the moment you set foot on this property. A few short years ago you became my wife and now you're carrying my child. I want to show you, to the best of my ability, how much I love and appreciate having you in my life."

Aria couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face and hastily reached up to wipe them away with a short laugh. "Damn pregnancy hormones." Leaning over she took a minute to press her lips to his before pulling away. "Thank you. And I love you too."

As she enjoyed the evening planned out by Ezra (complete with a warm bath and full body massage), she remembered being told once to let Ezra work through his demons, that he just needed time to find himself. She was sure glad she'd stuck around and gave him time. She'd had her own demons that he had let her work through. It seemed like everything they did complimented the other and she realized that was what being in love was all about. That night, lying in her husband's arms, she finally felt what it was to be completely and irrevocably loved.

**Thank you all so much for reading this story! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and an awesome New Year! Again, please follow me so that you know when I start a new story. I can't wait to share more of my thoughts with y'all! Happy Holidays!**


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